The Riches of Thanksgiving – The Prosperity of Friendship

Ten People I Am Most Thankful For In The Past Year

Each year around Thanksgiving, I make the above list. You can check out my 2009 version at my personal blog:
www.JerryGillies.net

And as I re-emerge into the world of computers, cell phones, and commerce, it becomes increasingly clear to me that my friends are the real treasure in my life.
Friendship has always been important to me, as underlined by my earlier, now out-of-print but available in used editions via Amazon and other sites,
book titled:
FRIENDS–The Power And Potential Of The Company You Keep

Of course, in some ways, the idea of deep and lasting friendship has been diminished a bit by the superficial labelling of mere electronic contacts on the various social media as “friends.” But that doesn’t have to be..the superficial part I mean.
If you begin seeing these contacts as human beings worth knowing rather than mere lists of fans and followers, or people trying to sell you something, you can begin to enrich your life.

It is obvious to me, as it must be to you, that many people on these sites do not have much in their personal treasure chest in terms of friendship. Otherwise they would not have the time or inclination to post so many of other people’s quotes (even mine) or play so many online games (I’ve lost count of my invitations to play Mafia Wars). I see a real need to put out some guidelines for turning some of these contacts into real friendships. After I am finished updating and annotating and turning out a greatly expanded new edition of Moneylove, I am going to look at revising FRIENDS, perhaps with a new subtitle of:

The Power And Potential Of The Company You Keep on Twitter, Facebook, Etc.

A couple of friends I made via the social media are definitely on this year’s ten best list, so I know this upgrading of these relationships is very possible. One such friend was actually originally encountered discussing my possible death on Facebook with another fan of Moneylove. After all, my prison misadventure kept me invisible for twelve years, so many people probably speculated on my demise.

And I just heard from a lovely woman with whom I was involved in an MLM almost twenty years ago. Who knows what kind of friendship that renewed acquaintance might evolve into. It’s always, don’t you find, the unpredictable episodes in life that bring us the most riches. Which is why I always strongly emphasize leaving room in your busy life and overbooked schedule for new adventures and new discoveries.

Meanwhile, you might find it useful and enriching to make your own list of the ten people you are most thankful for in 2009.
And in terms of prosperity consciousness, there is nothing wrong with having friends who expand and enrich your business success. In FRIENDS, I talk about the value of “using” your friends, as long as it is done with complete openness and mutual benefit. I expect several of my close friends to help dramatically increase my income, and vice versa. And it can be much more fun as a joint friendship activity to play income-producing games out in the world than video or computer games in isolation.

I wish you a most joyous, prosperous, inspiriting, satisfying and warm Thanksgiving holiday–hopefully filled with the riches of friendship.
Jerry