Friends and Subscribers who needs them?

I do.

When is the last time you made a friend?

The last time I made a true friend was a year ago and she is still my friend. Earlier today I got another subscriber and a couple weeks ago I lost one, so my guess is that this subscriber may not stick around.

I require both friends and subscribers to lead a successful and rewarding life.

My adult daughters are my friends but not my subscribers.

The Friend

"Friendship is a priceless gift that cannot be bought or sold, buts its value is far greater than a mountain of gold. For gold is cold and lifeless. It can neither see nor hear. In times of trouble, it's powerless cheer. It has no ears to listen, no heart to understand. It cannot bring you comfort or reach out a helping hand. So when you ask God for a gift, be thankful if not diamonds, pearls, or riches but the love of real, true friends."
--Muhammad Ali on Friendship

The Social Media Friend

I have five hundred and seventy-two friends and counting on Facebook. Approximately less than 10% of those I have a relationship with outside of Facebook. I don’t seek out friendships on social media and have maintained most of the same relationships over the last few years.

I have one person waiting for me to accept his friend request and since I don’t know him the deny button looks appealing. There are those I cross paths with and don’t even realize they are a Facebook friend. Then there are people who I have known since childhood, but I haven’t seen for decades except on Facebook.

The Facebook friendship isn’t authentic.

The Authentic Friend

Authenticity in friendship is important. They are the true friend. These are the people who I do life with.

I might see them once or twice a year but we never miss a beat. They are usually a phone call away and they know how to reach me. When my life falls to shit they are still by my side.

The temperature of a healthy friendship describes the authentic friendship.

The Subscriber

"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."

~Albert Einstein

The Subscriber Friend

Not all my friends subscribe to my grow-together.blog or my Substack Grow With Karen. Our friendships are fully developed and they like me for me and do not follow my writing journey. I do appreciate when a friend takes interest in my writing. It shows they care.

Then there are those who will friend request as an attempt to grow their subscriber list. The next thing you know they drop you like an old hat, without hesitation. They are in it for themselves and not worth the investment.

Even if a friend chooses not to subscribe, they are still my friend.

The Authentic Subscriber

And then I have subscribers who become friends. I haven’t met them in person but we support each other’s journey online. These are friendships built on our common interests.

This friendship is very intentional. They take the time to send me an encouraging message and offer a heart. I am grateful for their friendship.

The true friend who subscribes appreciates the value I add to their life.

Winning Friends and Influencing People

Dale Carnegie’s Book, How to Win Friends and Influence People is a must read for not only the business associates, but person who wants to make friends and earn subscribers.

“The Best Summary of How to Win Friends and Influence People” is provided by the Farnam Street blog.

Six ways to make people like you:

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.

2. Smile.

3. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.

5. Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.

6. Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.

The blog continues with sharing how to win people to your way of thinking:

1. The only way to get the best out of an argument is to avoid it.

2. Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say, “You’re wrong.”

3. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.

4. Begin in a friendly way.

5. Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately.

6. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.

7. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.

8. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.

9. Be sympathetic to the other person’s ideas and desires.

10. Appeal to the nobler motives.

11. Dramatize your ideas.

12. Throw down a challenge.

There is an art to making and maintaining friendships and subscribers. And the two are not interchangeable. Just because someone has a zillion subscribers doesn’t mean they have authentic relationships. And having a plethora of friends doesn’t equate to being social media famous.

Subscribe and Let’s Be Friends

In the next week I will be retitling my Substack with a new message. Instead of focusing on personal growth, it is on embracing our past. If that is something that interests you, please subscribe to follow my journey.

If you like what I have to say and are interested in learning more. Please share with me about yourself. I would love to get to know you!

If we share common interests, why not subscribe to one another’s Substack. We might just develop a friendship!