How many times do you knock on the door of a friend’s house before leaving when they don’t answer?
Two times? Three?
Some friendships are a lot like knocking on a door that never gets answered.
You want your friends to open the door, welcome you with a wonderful embrace, invite you in, and share their lives with you.
Yet, not all friends are like this.
They’re home, but they don’t answer the door.
That is to say, you continuously make an effort for these people, but you get absolutely nothing in return.
It’s not warm.
It’s not welcoming.
It’s not inviting.
And you don’t share each other’s lives.
When you see them, they’re polite, but the conversation is superficial. It’s empty. It’s not that they dislike you; it’s that they’re so swept up in the busyness of their own lives that they do not have the capacity to think of others.
This is why when you swap asking each other the obligatory question, “How are you?” they don’t listen to your answer. It’s not that they don’t care about you specifically; they just don’t realise how they’re coming across.
They are so focused on themselves that they make no effort for you (or anyone else who isn’t high on their priority list).
They don’t ask questions.
They’re not curious.
They certainly don’t offer anything up.
The door is firmly closed.
You can knock on that door all you like; they’re never going to answer.
So, don’t knock.
Don’t go to that house at all.
Don’t make the effort.
Rather, take a looksee. Who is around the corner? Who is demonstrating that they want you on their priority list?
Put your effort there, because you’re worth opening the door for every single time.
