Why Everyone Needs A Friend Who Constantly Challenges Them To Be Better

As everyone who has ever seen me (or even a picture of me) knows, I’m a pretty scrawny dude. So when I say I’m gonna exercise, that doesn’t mean I’m going to lift the benchpress bar at the gym, it means I am going to run.

I try to run twice a week, but it is reliably probably only once a week. When I run alone I max out around 4 miles, which I am still pretty proud of.

Sometimes though I run with my friend Cameron. When I run with Cam, we rarely stop before 8 miles, and oftentimes exceed 10. But I’ve never come anywhere close to accomplishing this on my own. Never.

But when Cam and I run together, he doesn’t let me quit. I suggest it, multiple times. I’m like the nagging mother of running, finding reasons we should call it quits and settle for less. But I have a friend who says we haven’t reached our goal yet, and that I shouldn’t settle for any less.

Everyone needs that friend who will constantly challenge them. The friend who sees you slowing, sees you tiring, sees you petering out and pushes you to keep going. The friend that tells you that your dreams are attainable, your hopes are within grasp, your crazy plans are totally possible. The person who will be there for you while everyone else is “busy” or always “away from the phone.”

The friend who knows when you’re coping out and settling. The friend who will won’t let you take the “safe road,” the person who will keep you on track toward the things you’ve always wanted to accomplish.

The friend who knows your lazy habits. The friend who will push you to log out of Netflix and log in to life and everything it has to offer. The friend who won’t let you stay at the job you hate, won’t let you keep dating the person who is holding you back.

The friend who knows what kind of person you should actually date — because they actually know you — and what people are actually just a total waste of time. The friend who calls you out on your shit and isn’t afraid to say the cold hard truth, cuz they know you’d do the same.

The friend you trust to offer serious advice. The friend who is willing to piss you off to tell you what they believe you need to live your best life. And you might be mad at them sometimes, and they might be wrong sometimes, but they are the friend who will constantly challenge you to be the very best YOU that you can be.

We all need that friend who tells us to keep trying, keep growing, keep running. And if you have that friend, they are worth their weight in gold.