The Heart of Friendship | How to Make Friends, Female Friendship, Adult Friendship, Friendship Advice – Détails, épisodes et analyse

This week on The Friendship Tour, Cecelia Curtis shares why community matters more than we sometimes realize—and how a simple Friday night at the football field reminded her of that truth.

We’re talking about the difference between friendship and community, and the three big reasons why having a village around you makes life a little easier, a little lighter, and a whole lot more joyful.

If you’ve ever felt stretched too thin, emotionally drained, or just wished someone else could pick up your kids or drop off dinner—you’re not alone. This episode is your gentle reminder that you don’t have to do it all by yourself.

Because the truth is: you need community. And it needs you, too.

After the episode, join the growing online community women like you - women who are passionate about friendship and community. Join us in the Women, Friendship, and Community Facebook group. Want more episodes like this one? Listen to the episodes below! Or, find another that speaks to you.

BONUS - Virtual Book Club Invitation 46 | What Are Deep Friendships, and How Are They Formed? - featuring Lisa Jones Clinton 41 | What is Community? It Might Be More Than You Think 6 | Childhood Neighbors Make the Best Friends! - featuring Nadeen Gayle *BE A GOOD FRIEND!*

Hi Friends!

Let's read a book together! Why? So we can connect with other amazing women. And, because I personally want to read more and scroll less. I'm just being honest.

If you want to join me for a virtual book club, please send a message to ccurtis@thefriendshiptourpodcast.com. Don't wait too long, though! I want to make sure the groups are small enough for women to engage with one another, so we only have room for a small group of women.

Registration will remain open until Wednesday, April 16th or until all spots have been filled, whichever comes first.

A few more details...

1. We're reading Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty.

2. The group will meet once or twice between now and the end of May.

3. I'll ask all ladies to keep their cameras on for the Book Club since we want to get to know one another.

I look forward to reading with you soon!

Is your friend just not herself? Does her behavior, sudden distance, or physical appearance have you concerned? Maybe she needs mental health support.

Many of us have found ourselves in this situation - where we see that something is different and we genuinely want to help, but we just don’t know what to do. 

In this important episode, Dr. Kandece Skinner, a licensed educational psychologist, shares 6 ways you can help a friend who might be struggling. Dr. Skinner also shares 3 things NOT to do when you’re trying to help a friend, including:

1. Do not try to diagnose your friend.
2. Do not try to fix your friend.
3. Do not judge your friend.

If we live long enough and encounter enough people, we’ll likely need to put Dr. Skinner’s advice into practice at least once or twice. Or, perhaps a loving friend will use this information to help us, if needed.

RELATED EPISODES:

29 | Boundaries - What They Are, Why We Need Them, and How We Establish Them - featuring Ashley Cook

7 | We Were on a Break! How Two Friends Grew Apart…and Back Together (Part 1) - featuring Wendy Alleyne 8 | We Were on a Break! How Two Friends Grew Apart...and Back Together (Part 2) - featuring Wendy Alleyne

OTHER NOTES:

1. We have a great group of women in the Women, Friendship, and Community Facebook group! Join the group to keep this important conversation going.
2. Don’t forget to leave a written review in Apple Podcasts!

*BE A GOOD FRIEND!*

Do you find yourself keeping score in friendship? It goes something like this… “I went to her kid’s birthday party, but she didn’t come to my kid's party!” “I scheduled the last brunch meetup, so it’s HER turn to plan something!” Or, perhaps you catch yourself saying, “After all I’ve done for her?!”

Are you laser focused on reciprocity in your relationship? If so, it sounds like you have a transactional friendship.

While it’s reasonable to expect our friends to celebrate important days and milestones with us and to give as much as we give, reciprocity shouldn’t really be the goal in friendship. Instead, let’s aim for transformational friendships.

Transformational friendships help us grow and evolve as individuals. In these relationships, we dig a bit deeper - beyond the give and take - to offer a bit more of ourselves. Perhaps we offer a skill that only we have, a favor that a friend really needs, a word of encouragement so a friend can keep going, maybe a prayer. Perhaps we lovingly offer constructive feedback or carefully worded advice - all designed to help a friend grow. Will we get what we offered back? Maybe, maybe not. Still, we do it out of love. 

Join Stewanna Dasari and me for a conversation about transformational vs. transactional relationships.

After the show, head to the Women, Friendship, and Community Facebook group to share your thoughts.

*BE A GOOD FRIEND!*

Would you like to hear more from Stewanna Dasari? Check out the episode below.

40 | Too Busy for Friends? 10 Tips to Help You Stay Connected When Life Gets Hectic - featuring Stewanna Dasari

Would you like to hear examples of transformational friendships? Listen to these episodes:

37 | GIRL! You Tripping! How a Friend’s Honesty Helped My Marriage - featuring Alicia Matthews

13 | Somebody Prayed for Me - And Those Prayers Got Through! - featuring Ashley Smith

9 | Faith-Building Friends - featuring Theresa Johnson

Let’s Be Friends!

Facebook Community: bit.ly/thefriendshiptourpodcast

Email: ccurtis@thefriendshiptourpodcast.com

HAPPY GALENTINE'S DAY!!!

What is Galentine's Day? It's a day that's all about FRIENDSHIP! And, I want to celebrate friendship with all of you - friends near and far.

Listen to the full episode to learn how YOU can be part of The Friendship Tour's 2025 Galentine's Day celebration. But don't delay! The celebration ends on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 11:59pm PST.

As always, be a good friend!

Let's stay in touch!

Facebook Community: bit.ly/thefriendshiptourpodcast

Email: ccurtis@thefriendshiptourpodcast.com

What is community? Is it simply a group of people living in the same general area as one another? Is it people who all have something in common, such as a belief system, dialect, or country of origin? Is community even a thing or is it a feeling - a feeling of familiarity, warmth, and fellowship?

Perhaps community is all of the above - or maybe it’s none of the above. Perhaps community is whatever you decide it is. It could be the sweet woman in the local sandwich shop who always seems to be working when you want a sandwich, the moms at your kid’s school, or the person in the Facebook group who always responds to your goofy posts. If they can make your day better or worse on a consistent basis, they’re probably part of your community. If they're part of your routine, they're probably part of your community. If they're the people who step up to help you when life gets rough, they're part of your community.

We all spend time thinking and talking about healthy families and healthy friendships, but what about healthy communities? We need those, too, to feel less alone and more supported - in the good times and the bad.

Join me on The Friendship Tour for an episode about community and why it matters.

If you liked this episode, you’ll LOVE the following episodes:

1. Episode 6: Childhood Neighbors Make the Best Friends - featuring Nadeen Gayle
2. Episode 36: Let’s Talk About Friendship and Community - TOGETHER!

Do you want more of The Friendship Tour?

1. Facebook: bit.ly/thefriendshiptourpodcast
2. Email: ccurtis@thefriendshiptourpodcast.com
3. YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thefriendshiptourpodcast

“I’m just so busy.” It’s something we all say, and it’s something we all hear when we ask a friend how she’s doing. There’s something about our culture that makes us wear this “busyness” as a badge of honor. We’re all supposed to be busy...or at least SAY we're busy.

To be fair, there are some people who have extremely busy lives and very little free time after work and family commitments. Some of those women manage to have thriving friendships, and some don’t.

On the flip side, some people actually DO have a bit more free time after work and family commitments. And, again, some have thriving friendships, and some don’t.

So, what’s the deal?

Join me for a conversation with Stewanna Dasari to discuss what it is that has us all feeling so busy, and how we can stay connected with friends even when our free time is scarce.

Next Steps:

1. Listen to the episode.

2. Leave a written review.

3. Repeat.

NOTE: If you liked this episode, you'll love Episode 4 | How to Keep a Friend Forever - Be Thoughtful! - featuring Moira Ballard.

Want More of The Friendship Tour? Let's stay connected!

Email: ccurtis@thefriendshiptourpodcast.com

Facebook: bit.ly/thefriendshiptourpodcast

YouTube: youtube.com/@thefriendshiptourpodcast

What's The Friendship Tour Podcast all about? FRIENDSHIP! We talk about making friends, keeping friends, encouraging our friends, having fun with friends, and creating deeper friendships. In short, if it's friendship-related, it's fair game. Let's talk about it ALL so we can create and maintain those meaningful relationships that help us grow as individuals and feel more supported and less alone in life. Join me on The Friendship Tour!

Next Steps? 1. Listen to an episode!

2. Leave a written review!

3. Join a great community of women at bit.ly/thefriendshiptourpodcast.

Do you know lots of great people, but still, somehow, feel isolated and alone? Do you have plenty of acquaintances, but few deep, meaningful friendships?

If surface-level relationships leave you wanting so much more, I have one suggestion. Talk about deeper things. Maybe your friends and acquaintances will enjoy a bit more depth, maybe they won’t. Maybe they will love getting to know more of you, or maybe they’re not quite ready for that type of relationship. You won’t know, though, unless you try. 

Don’t try it all at once, though! Trying to fast-track a deep friendship can sometimes be a turnoff. So, be patient. Hang in there, and be intentional about getting out of shallow waters.

Check out the full episode for the types of questions and topics that can lead to deeper, richer conversations and friendships. Then, join the conversation at Women, Friendship, and Community!

Did you like this episode? Then you’ll LOVE the episodes below.

1. 2 | Authenticity-The Key to Deeper Friendships, Personal Freedom, and Peace - featuring Alexandria Fichera

2. 9 | Faith-Building Friends - featuring Theresa Johnson

Interested in connecting further? I want to hear from YOU!

Email: ccurtis@thefriendshiptourpodcast.com

Facebook: bit.ly/thefriendshiptourpodcast

Podcast: https://thefriendshiptourpodcast.podbean.com

YouTube: youtube.com/@thefriendshiptourpodcast

**BE A GOOD FRIEND!**

Everyone needs an honest friend - the kind of friend who can tell you about yourself. The kind of friend who tells you not just what you want to hear, but what you need to hear…for your own good…because she loves you that much.

This week’s guest, Alicia Matthews, is that kind of friend for me. When I went to her with complaints about my husband, she got real with me. It only took a few words, but those words were effective! She put me in place and helped me keep my marriage and my life in perspective.

We all need a friend like Alicia. We all need a real, true, HONEST friend. And, when we find such a friend, we have to be willing to hear, truly hear, what the friend is trying to tell us - even if it stings for a moment. Because isn’t temporary discomfort better than long-term pain?

Join Alicia and me for this conversation about keeping it real with  friends. After the episode, go to the Women, Friendship, and Community Facebook group to share your thoughts!

NOTE: If you liked this episode, you’ll love Episode 35 | Did Your Friends Leave You Out…AGAIN?! What Are You Going To Do About It? - featuring Lauren Gray.