As we've been talking about friendship this week, an article I wrote for Zia Magazine keeps coming to mind. While it seems we can't do much to stop our financial 401ks from dropping like rocks lately, I still believe we can stay wealthy in the ways that matter most.

Here's an excerpt:

Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.

It turns out there might be more truth to that simple saying than we think. Friendships have a vast number of benefits--from improving our happiness to lengthening our lives.

But while we’re coached from the start of our career on how to bolster our 401k retirement accounts, we get a lot less training on how to do the same with our relationships. Fortunately, many of the same concepts apply. So here’s a little guide for building your very own friendship 401k.

Invest
The first thing we have to do with a 401k is put something in it. The same is true of friendships. While retirement accounts require money, friendships need something even more scarce--time.

Yes, it’s going to cost us. But in the end we may reap benefits we didn’t expect. For example, Dr. Joan Borysenko told Prevention how she instructed an attendee at one of her seminars suffering from frequent headaches to spend two nights a week with friends. To her client’s surprise, the headaches cleared up and she could be even more productive.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

And when you're done, come on back and share one little way you've grown your friendship 401k with us.

Comments

[Jeanette]

Two ways I love to invest in my friendships are giving cards and praying for and with friends.

I heard Ann Ortlund, a famous and successful preachers' wife and author, say year ago: "If you want to give a compliment, put it in writing. Then when your friend needs encouragement on a bad day, they can get that out and see in black and white that they are not such a ratty person after all, and God is on their side." There's no better way to do that than a card!

A group of friends and I prayed our kids through their teen years by getting together every month or two, going out to supper, then meeting at each
other's homes and spending an hour or two praying. One of the gals in that group prayed with me on the phone 3 mornings a week for nine years. I believe our children, who are now grown, are better adults because of it. I know I'm a better person! You bond deeply with someone you pray with and for. It's an investment of honor and respect. It's also why you need to pray for your enemies; they cannot stay enemies long if you are praying for them!

That's my two cents!

[Holley]

Thanks so much for your comment, Jeanette! I loved the quote from Ann Ortlund. So true. I have a big box of cards I've saved through the years.
I've also started copying encouraging words I receive via e-mail into a Word document. Many of those have come from you, sweet readers, and I'm grateful!

[Linda]

I was finding it interesting that many of us were commenting on our incredible friends yet when it came to writing for this the responses haven't been coming in as fast. I agree with the diversity part of it. It is so enriching to have friendships in all age ranges. I am in a prayer group that meets weekly, as much as possible. We have met for the last ten or more years. Some of my neat relationships have come out of sending someone a note of encouragement. Some of my "how did you get to know so and so" relationships have come out of obedience to the Holy Spirit in sending a note(s) of encouragement. Following the prompting of the Holy Spirit is one of the most effective ways of building friendships. I have also built some neat relationships which have come out of teaching Sunday School for various ages from teens to the elderly. Investing into the lives of others will enrich our own lives as we reach out to bless them.

Neat idea, Holley, on the Word document.

[401k advisor]

Its certainly a great message and idea...however, lately I feel as though there are few good friends out there to be had. People seem to grow more and more selfish of late, and it makes it hard to find quality friends that'll be there for you when you need it.

-Ethan