Day 11 – Gratitude Challenge – Friends who are always there for you
Welcome to Day 11 of the Gratitude Challenge. Today we will express gratitude for the friends who are there for you in good and bad times. In this world where each day is a surprise and in the middle of all the chaos, it is a blessing if you have friends in your life who are there to support you without being jealous and mean. Always appreciate their presence and never take them for granted. Through this challenge, let us take a day and appreciate the beautiful bond of friendships that has kept us sane and happy when we least expected.
Expressing gratitude can be a simple thank you and go beyond that but there has to be some action to show it. If you feel grateful but have never expressed it, it is time to do it and let them know that their support and love have never gone unnoticed. It will keep the bond strong and with each action, you will be able to keep your life beautiful.
You can see the entire list of the 30-Day Gratitude Challenge in the below link:
Friends are those people whom we have chosen to be with, in this life. It is like a family that we have created with people we have met in school, college, or workshops or while traveling. The world is like a huge ground of opportunity to meet people who resonate with our energy and values and make bonds like friendship. When we have true friends, we share happiness with them in good times and get the courage to go through life during the bad ones.
5 ways to express your gratitude to your friends:
- Call them and listen
We get busy with our lives and responsibilities but take some time out and call your friends. Ask them how they have been doing. Sometimes just listen to them and how they feel without passing any judgements. It is not required to give solutions or a to-do list, just listen and let them know that you are there for them. Do not let that friend lose touch with you. Tell them how much you miss them and how important they are in your life and also tell them that they can call you whenever they need you. This way they know that you are prioritizing them too and not talking to them to fill the void in your life.
- Send a surprise gift
Once in a while, surprise your friends with a thoughtful gift with some hand-written messages. There is an idea where you can take them back to the old times and prepare a hand-written letter and seal the envelope with a wax seal and some flowers. It will look very special and make your friends feel the same. Send them what they love and wait to see the happiness on their faces. You will feel happy too. Because without giving, you will seldom live the joy of receiving.
- Plan an outing or meet over dinner
To have that friend who celebrates your victories, you need to be the same for someone else. Plan an outing where you can watch a movie, try any adventure sport, or go to a spa or resort and relax. Celebrate the victories of your friends over dinner. Talk about your life and let others share about theirs too. You can go for cycling, trekking, shopping or playing some sport. Spend some quality time with your friends and have fun. You can also plan dinner or lunch at each other’s houses where you can cook something for them that they love. You can also check out dining places on Zomato or any other website and choose to eat there and spend time talking and sharing everything.
- Signup for a workshop or volunteer together
If there is a cause that you both support, you and your friends can participate in that event and help for that cause. It will let you bond over the same values and you can spend time helping others too. Find out the hobbies you and your friends enjoy and go for that workshop like painting, pottery, and seminar, and the list can be endless. Find out today what they would like to do and tell them what you enjoy too.
- Take an old photo and post
We all are growing each day and the photos we took in school will be way different than the ones we take now as we are more conscious about how we look and how we pose. Post a photo on your social media and tag your friends. Add a note expressing how much you love them and you feel grateful and blessed to have them as friends. You can also try “old and new” photos beside each other and post them.
I hope I could give you ideas to complete the gratitude challenge and keep your friendships strong. Friends who are always there for you need to know you are there for them too.
Hope you liked the ideas and next time you meet your friends, do not forget to appreciate them and their time and plan something together.
