I was miserable at my job for almost five years. I would come home every evening drained of all my energy, leaving nothing to give to my home life and close relationships. After five years of this, I realized that my life needed to change drastically, but I felt stuck. I was drained of energy from my work life that looking for something different felt like a task too enormous, too tiring, for me to take on alone. It was not until I realized that I am not alone that I found the strength to take the necessary steps to change my life as it was.

The one thing that helped me cope with my job for five years was not a substantial raise or the hope of a big corner office; it was a friendship with one of my co-workers. He was able to empathize with my stresses as no one else could, give me feedback when I needed an attitude change, and supported me in eventually leaving the job.

That was how Clear Career was born.

Anais Nin summed it up perfectly when she wrote, “Each friend represents the world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." In fact, many renowned medical experts are finding that friendships are so essential to health and happiness that studies are being published on the topic when in the past friendship had taken a backseat in research. It is scientifically proven that adults with strong friendships have a reduced risk of severe health problems such as depression, high blood pressure, high stress, and more. In Growing The Positive Mind, Dr. William Larkin talks about healthy friendships, calling them Master Mind groups. They are simply this: a group of people that you have taken with you on this journey of finding the vision for your life. Dr. Larkin wrote, “The Master Mind will lift you to a new level of consciousness and awareness beyond the limits of your own vision.”

If I had not been completely honest with my friend at work, he would have never been able to know how to be there for me during the times I needed him the most. Possibly the most vital ingredient in the recipe of healthy friendships is vulnerability. Only after a vulnerable encounter can someone truly know you, your vision, and your goals. This deep knowing then allows them to walk your journey with you, and you with them.

As Brene Brown wrote, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.”

Certainly, you could go about making essential changes to your life without friends, but why would you? Your friends point you towards your goals when you forget your direction, and they are there to celebrate you when you reach those goals. Unfortunately, friendships are often the first things to be forgotten when life get’s busy. I strongly encourage you to tend to your friendships and make space for them no matter how cluttered your calendar gets.

That friend ended up being one of my first clients with Clear Career, and now both of our lives look completely different. There is certainly a kind of life-changing magic found in friendship. When people walk closely beside you, and through honest conversation, you will be able to accomplish much more than you could on your own.

And the best part is, now you will have people to celebrate your accomplishments with you.