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Today is one of my best friend’s birthday. He’s the reason I first got a passport. We’ve traveled to probably fifteen countries together over the years - all on a shoestring.
Even though he isn’t on Twitter, I’m gonna share something I learned from him...
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Even though he isn’t on Twitter, I’m gonna share something I learned from him...
1/
The guy is a connector. He makes friends everywhere. He invests in friendships.
After Katrina hit New Orleans, he was so worried about the woman who worked at the front desk of the hotel we stayed at every year, he tracked her down in Houston to make sure she was okay.
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After Katrina hit New Orleans, he was so worried about the woman who worked at the front desk of the hotel we stayed at every year, he tracked her down in Houston to make sure she was okay.
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This is a good man.
Once, he was telling me about how the guys he worked with for a yr in Australia never return his emails. He’d send five or six or seven over months for every one he got back.
I said “Why do you do that? If a friend wasn’t pulling their weight, I’d give up.”
Once, he was telling me about how the guys he worked with for a yr in Australia never return his emails. He’d send five or six or seven over months for every one he got back.
I said “Why do you do that? If a friend wasn’t pulling their weight, I’d give up.”
He looked at me and said:
“I don’t get to choose whether they respond all the time or not. I get to choose whether I want them in my life.”
This was almost 20 years ago. Always stuck with me. Changed my perspective on relationships.
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“I don’t get to choose whether they respond all the time or not. I get to choose whether I want them in my life.”
This was almost 20 years ago. Always stuck with me. Changed my perspective on relationships.
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We tend to keep score as if the measure of a relationship is no more than how even the effort is.
My friend shunts all that aside and focuses on the person and what they add to his life regardless of how or when they’re willing or able to add it.
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My friend shunts all that aside and focuses on the person and what they add to his life regardless of how or when they’re willing or able to add it.
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A few years ago, he had a milestone birthday and threw himself a milestone birthday party.
A weekend in Las Vegas. A big dinner. Cocktails and laughs and fun all around.
People flew in from both coasts, Australia, the UK.
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A weekend in Las Vegas. A big dinner. Cocktails and laughs and fun all around.
People flew in from both coasts, Australia, the UK.
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Many of those people were friends who had “gone dark” at some point when life was too busy or they just weren’t responsive.
It was an absolute blast of a weekend.
All good people with one shared attribute, my friend’s friendship.
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It was an absolute blast of a weekend.
All good people with one shared attribute, my friend’s friendship.
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So, today is his birthday. I love the guy like a brother. We’ve been through an unsmall amount of sh** together.
Along the way, he taught me something important:
Never lose a friend you care about over who is supposed to pick up the phone this time.
Happy birthday, buddy.
8/8
Along the way, he taught me something important:
Never lose a friend you care about over who is supposed to pick up the phone this time.
Happy birthday, buddy.
8/8
