Friends are Like Flowers
By Kefa Onditi
A
musician once wrote a song romanticizing friendships and analogized them to flowers
and life as a garden. Like flowers in their variety make gardens beautiful, so make
friendships in their richness—the lovely orchid, like a friend that compliments,
bring sparkle and color to life. Roses are beautiful, but the thorns remind you
to tread carefully; those are like the friends who criticize you. I have no
idea what flower proliferates and is always ahead of its time, but we will
always have a friend who is ahead of us.
The
friends who compliment you are essential because a compliment can brighten up
your day. They could comment on something as insignificant as new earrings, and
suddenly, you feel a fresh gush of confidence. Suppose you did well in public
speaking or a presentation, and someone makes a nice comment about your oratory
skills. This gives you a boost of self-confidence and joy. Friends
complimenting you always see the details, acknowledge your efforts and make you
feel seen. They will be there to crown your every achievement. They will help
you gain the respect of your peers because they magnificently see you.
When
someone tells you that your hair, shoes, your beard, or even your house are
always clean, you will always maintain a neat beard and a clean house so that
they don't find you with a dirty one and lose that respect for you. It is human
nature to desire affirmation and to feel seen. Your mental health needs to stay
with people who find a way to complement you.
Every
garden needs a rose. In this context, a rose alludes to the ones who criticize you.
There are two sides to criticism; you must be wise to tap into constructive crisis.
Simple questions about “why do you always frequently wear that shirt? Why
doesn't your house have a Tv? Why are your window curtains transparent? Why are
your children always walking with runny noses?
Such
questions make you realize the small things you are doing in the wrong way. These questions sometimes bring out the bad
personality traits that you have. Criticism about the company you keep can be
in the form of “Why do you like walking with that drunkard? “Why do you always
laugh loudly everywhere? “The bad habits you possess are what you should read behind
that statement.
These people might look like your enemies, don’t
like you for who you are, or don't appreciate what you do. But that is not
always the case. You will discover that you are not perfect by listening to
these people. You become better when you listen to them, fix yourself, and work
on those small mistakes. These people might even compliment you after you have
improved on what they told you, and you be happy and proud of yourself. You
will always be on your toes to keep those compliments.
The
ones ahead of you. These people will constantly challenge you and inspire you
to want more from yourself. This is because you will be challenged to be like
them and bask in their achievements; they will share some of their aspirations
and dreams with you. You may see that yours are too small; thus, you will begin
to dream big, set high standards, and have a bigger vision of your life. Then
as the hardworking person, you are, you will work to achieve bigger. So always ensure
that those around you are way above you, and you will use them to guide you and
give advice from experience. Some may even care enough to offer favors once
they see your desire to improve. These are people with better financial status,
better relationships with their families, and better social qualities like
leadership and spirituality.
You
are whom you keep around are whom you keep around you. One biblical allusion to
friendship is in Amos 3:3; two cannot walk together unless they agree. It would
be best if you kept essential people around you. Your success depends on your company
and habits as on what you do every day. You will unleash your most significant potential
if you identify.
