I said, “Friendship is the greatest band in the world,” and I had reason for it, for it is all the bands that this world hath; and there is no society, and there is no relation that is worthy, but is made so by the communications of friendship, and by partaking of some of its excellencies. For friendship is a transcendent, and signifies as much as unity can mean, and every consent, and every pleasure, and every benefit, and every society, is the mother or daughter of friendship. – Jeremy Taylor, “A Discourse on Friendship”
The quality of your relationships determines in large measure the scope of your influence on the world around you. Fractured, ill-conceived and self-indulgent associations diffuse the radiant blessings which naturally pour forth through friendships grounded in excellency.
Just as your aura, which is apparently visible to some and tangible to others, waxes and wanes, the earth’s crown of light expands or contracts by virtue of the bands and communications of friendship.
Gregory Hake 
Breathing new life into our relationships, is our personal responsibility. “for we determine the nature of our associations, each moment”
Without judgement, our job then, would be to maintain a personal excellence during the natural waxing and waning.
It is too easy(and often the low road), to write those off, who don’t possess the understanding we (think), we do.
This is where working with response, or as I’ve heard it called “Spiritual Psychiatry” comes into play.
Were we to excuse ourselves on being downcast or possessing a fallen countenance, because of so-and-so…we’d never run out of excuses to not be.
Liberal application of forgiveness, lifting those up around us at each opportunity, is our duty.
Radiance, is Love, and Love is the irresistible force. Emphasis on IRRESISTIBLE!!!
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Your posts this week offer an opportunity to redefine friendship. As with so much in the world what we’ve thought of as reality actually isn’t at all. Looking back at friendships I’ve had in the past I can see that greater blessings could have ensued for my beloved friends had I not commiserated, but held the line, allowed pressure to build, which in turn gives opportunity for newness and redirection to emerge. True friendship (as you were mentioning last week) places love for the truth of love, above all earthly friendships.
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I love the awareness that we have a part to play in the expansion of the crown of radiance relative to the whole earth. Such a large thought practically simplified by our friendships grounded in excellency!
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Friendship is love between people – a relationship that is based in patience, honesty, integrity, courage and fearlessness. It’s a good time to review the nature of all of our relationships. If they’re not based in love and truth, they are, by default, based in the absence of those qualities
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Wonderful post! I agree that the nature of our relationships are crucial in shaping the very impact our lives can have. The mutual admiration society is not only not compelling, it actually stifles. These are two of my favorite quotes about friendship.
“I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.” – Plutarch.
Proverbs 27:17 -” Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. ”
The comfort of true friendship is it challenges us in a way that makes us better people. Self indulgent, sycophantic relationships not only don’t move us forward but allow us to sink when we should rise.
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That’s a great quote by Plutarch!
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