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Friendship

Like fine wine friendships take time to develop. The essence or soul of people and things reveal themselves gradually.

Aristotle reflected that friendship is ultimately based on goodness and beauty. These are inner qualities of soul that take time for most people to discover and nurture in one another.

Relationships that provoke reactions in others cloud the vision of goodness and beauty. Those clouds of emotional reactions are imbued with unloved and unaccepted aspects of oneself.

In order to value the goodness of another we must recognize and value our own divinity, for divinity and inner goodness are essentially synonymous.

In order to experience the beauty of another we need to dare to be vulnerable enough for our heart to stay open to another’s presence, words and actions.

Friendship requires a commitment to share the best within oneself with another without demanding anything in return. In this way we release our soul to commune with the soul of another. And when that happens, the beauty and goodness of each are revealed.

We thus find ourselves in the other with whom we are at peace and whom we love. In such a relationship there is no time and no distance. Not even death can sever such a relationship.

In everyday life friendship is a pathway for developing soul consciousness. It is an essential means of learning and expressing love which is the environment that every soul needs.

When a friendship goes through a crisis or rough time it is simply a reminder to re-connect with the goodness and beauty that created the friendship. Friendship conflicts are indicative of being self-centred, which typically happens when we refuse to be honest with ourselves or lose touch with the radiant beauty of our own divinity – the soul within.

Accept the invitation for transformation that conflict offers and renew your commitment to love with all your being.

Be a soul friend to others. In this way you will help them to free the limitless possibilities within them as you do so for yourself.

Exercises: 1. Who are your soul friends? 2. Renew your appreciation of their beauty and goodness, and give thanks for having such friends. Express to them this gratitude. 3. If you have any conflict in a friendship ask yourself what you need to learn from it and what you need to give to it.

This is one of 150 Soul Perspective articles. For more articles visit Soul Perspectives Index.

Andrew and Bonnie Schneider are now offering personal interactive email coaching for the 4 Level Soul Journey program. Connect weekly with Andrew and Bonnie on how to develop soul consciousness. Read more about this personal coaching from Andrew and Bonnie Schneider by clicking here.