The International Day of Friendship, is not another holiday… there’s actually quite a bit of meaning behind it. The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities (United Nations). The resolution places emphasis on involving young people, as future leaders, in community activities that include different cultures and promote international understanding and respect for diversity. To mark the International Day of Friendship the UN encourages governments, international organizations and civil society groups to hold events, activities and initiatives that contribute to the efforts of the international community towards promoting a dialogue among civilizations, solidarity, mutual understanding and reconciliation.
Keeping that in mind, take walk back in time with me to January 2nd 2023. I attended my first Zumba class with Instructor Aida . She made a few powerful encouraging statements before starting the class, ending with “whatever you do, just don’t stop”. Little did she know, on my toughest days those words would echo in my ear to keep going. 70+ classes later I can attest those words are exactly what it took to help me reach my goals. Again, although this could be a physical health post, it was the connection to my “Zumbie” friends (as my husband calls them) that keeps me going back, and apparently participating in a city park Zumba on one of the hottest days of the year LOL! The camaraderie, and commitment to our health connects us. We laugh, dance and just have a good time while reaching out goals. I imagine when the group of people sat around a table and developed international friendship day, they didn’t think about a Zumba crew of powerful women showing a community what exercise can look like. However, I’m sure they knew it was in this power we can change lives through connection.
We need not look any further when identifying ways to incorporate International Day of Friendship into your life. The Centers for Disease Control provide a few ideas:
- Join a social group to connect with others.
- Being part of a group with shared interests, values, or goals can be rewarding and foster a sense of belonging
- Create a larger and more diverse social network.
- Having more and different types of people in our lives can potentially provide a greater variety of resources, information, and opportunities to help us with life’s many challenges
- Address barriers to social connection
- Take care of your health. Staying healthy allows you to connect with others socially and enjoy those connections.
- Don’t let technology distract you from engaging with people. Pay attention to ways it might make you feel worse about yourself or others. Try to use it in ways that are positive.
- Making ends meet and busy work schedules can prevent us from carving out time to connect with others. Consider sharing things you already do (like exercising or having a meal) with a friend—or doing new activities with them
Post inspiration: Walking down the street listening to “What about your friends” by TLC
References: United Nations Website; Gretchen Rubin podcast “join a group”;CDC Social Connectedness