One of the most beautiful things about being a woman is the connection we have with other women in our lives. Whether you have a girl tribe, a squad, a girl-gang, wolf-pack or if you have a family full of wonderfully close women, whatever you want to call them, these women are necessary to our lives and our mental health.
They say that we become like the five or six people we surround ourselves with most of the time. If that’s the case I think we all need to make sure we have quality people around us who inspire, uplift and make us better people just by being around them.
After going through what I call my mid-life crazy a few years ago, I realised I needed to re-evaluate my life and my friendships. We all have those people in our life who bring a level of toxicity that is unhealthy to our own well-being, and I realised I needed to do something about that. I went through a process I now call a ‘Friend Stocktake. I looked at the people who drained me and the people I loved but didn’t spend enough time with and I made a promise to myself to nurture the good and sideline the bad (its not as brutal as it sounds but it helps you to reclaim some power over your life).
The result of my Friend Stocktake was a list of the women I had in my life. Part of the process was to look closely at how these women made me feel, what they brought to my life, what qualities they had that I loved. From that analysis I came up with 6 types of women that I think we all need in our life. My tribe is called the #WarriorWomen tribe.
- The #WarriorWoman Tribal Chief – this is the woman who is wiser, more experienced at life and always has great advice when it comes to making big decisions. She is usually older but still fun and will guide you lovingly through difficult times.
- The #WarriorWoman Trail Blazer – this friend is connected. She knows people and she helps you to get things done. She can link you up with everything from the best osteopath to the latest technology that will help your life. People love her for her positivity and success.
- The #WarriorWoman Fan Girl – this is the friend who is your biggest fan. She likes all your social media posts, she cheers you on in every new endeavour. She believes in you, thinks you’re awesome and sings your praises at every opportunity.
- The #WarriorWoman Empath – This friend has totally got your back. You can cry on her shoulder and she will always listen and comfort without judgement or offering unsolicited advice. She is pure love and empathy.
- The #WarriorWoman Truth Doctor – this is the friend you go to for absolute, no-holds-barred, straight down the line truth about anything. Its the brutal honesty you need when you are all caught up in the emotions. She won’t sugar coat, but you know she loves you and she is invaluable to your life.
- The #WarriorWoman Fun Fitness Friend – this friend is the one you exercise with. She’s essential to your physical and mental health – she will stop you going to the wine shop on the way home from a stressful day and she will get you out there running, boxing, swimming, whatever it is you love to do together to let off steam and have a laugh. You can’t live without a fun fitness friend.
There may be other women you can identify for your tribe but believe me, these women are the ones who will help you to take your life and make it amazing.
In today’s world where women are pitched against each other in reality tv shows, online and in magazines, we need to surround ourselves with women who will defy societies norms and stand up for each other.
Its time to find your tribe and live your best life.
To find out more about the Friend Stocktake or how you can build your tribe, you can buy my book #WarriorWomen – Find your tribe and live your best life on my website minddesigncoach.com (in Australia) or amazon.com (rest of the world).