12 Comments

Wow, loved this one! BE the best friend, don't HAVE the best friend = genius. Keep up the spicy hot takes, Anna!

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Thank you, Ellen!! xoxo

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You're shining a bright light on the "me, me, me" culture and it's fascinating to hear that you're getting so much push back. I guess not surprising, but disappointing. I hope you just keep on keeping on with more hot takes, Anna. It could take awhile for folks who were virtually born with social media in their faces to hear what you're saying... but the tide is turning. Being the friend, not having the friend is the only real home base we can create.

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I could not love your take more on showing up vs keeping tabs on who shows up. Sharing in the newsletter I'm finishing tonight!

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Amazing insights! Love this, thank you! Can't wait to read your book to learn more.

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It’s so important to turn things around in our minds the way you are pointing to, Anna. Social media has really had a damaging effect on human relationship, on real human relationship. The millions of people who began measuring how much they mattered to others based on their social media responses taught themselves to focus on what others were doing for them, a.k.a. attending to their posts. Now there are millions and millions of people who have addicted themselves to demanding junk attention at the expense of spending our precious little time here on earth cultivating opportunities to give real care to the people who matter most to us. I love your book and I love your blog. More spicy hot takes, please.

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Thank you, Meri! You totally get it!! I'm so happy to have you here.

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Oh honey, you’re the one that totally gets it and I’m so glad you’re getting a platform to share what you get. It’s just in time or maybe a little past time… Or maybe a lot past time… but thank God you’re out there with it right now.

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I feel like both opinions aren't mutually exclusive. I'm reading this as "be the giver", but what if you aren't getting something in return? People may be happy to make themselves the go-to friend who always shows up, but this will get old if they are the only ones making an effort. So, be a friend to the ones who deserve your time and attention, and who do the same for you, because friendship is reciprocal.

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This was quite interesting! I really liked reading it, and agree in a sense.

I do have one question though - what do you do when people don't respond in kind, or accept your love and support, but don't help you in a time of need out of sheer ignorance or selfishness?

In any case, thank you for writing this!

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You're in luck because I just wrote an entire book about this that answers your question! This seems like a communication issue. Did Friend #1 explain what they needed from Friend #2? Did Friend #1 eliminate uncertainty? My book walks you through it all!

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I'll definitely check out your book, thank you!

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