I gravitate towards people who enhance my spirituality and are open to the concept that everyone has their own individual path to follow in life. These are the friends who encourage me to stay steadfast on my path where my truths lie.

How do your friends enhance your spirituality?

hehehehe - by letting me run around in circles

By letting me know above and beyond the trials and tribulations of this life there is something more that we can strive for !!

Beetle, that is a good thing that your friends allow you to be who you are. I love your sense of humour.

Even if you do run in circles, you seem to accomplish so much for the good in your life.

Burt, that is so true. We are here to learn and strive for the highest potential within ourselves. All we need to reach that which is above and beyond all our struggles is already within us.

My true friends let me be who I am. They may nudge me when I start to veer away from the true me but they never judge. I have lots of aquaintances but only a few true friends.

I have been struggling with this for a long time. I consider myself to be open-minded and all-accepting. My friends are Catholic, pagan, Christian, Buddhist, Mormon, Unitarians, and New Thought devotees. I love all of these spiritual paths! Unfortunately, they are closed to each other.

We stay away from heavy religious talk but I do yearn for a group of like-minded friends who are loving and accepting instead of being so exclusionary.

Hi Lori. I find that some of the most interesting conversations I have are with people of different faiths. Most of my friends, even of a different faith than mine, are accepting of each others path in life and realize we all have our own beliefs. Yet we can openly discuss these differences.

Those who have faith in themselves can be open to the thoughts of others. Since I stand strong in my belief system I can discuss any religious subject with others. There are few people in my life that have the same belief system I do, yet we honor and respect each other for having faith in ourselves.

For years I felt that my Christianity meant I had to be closed to other beliefs. When I opened up and began learning about other belief systems I became stronger in my own spirituality.

I find the best support network has people with open minds, open hearts, and a compassionate soul. We are all on this earth together. There are enough hurdles and obstacles out there for us already. I look to have people by my side who are supportive and nurturing.

I have two different groups I meet with in person each month, and that's a foundation of both of the groups. We are always encouraging of and cheerleading for each other.

That is so important, Lisa, to have strong support from friends. In my time here at BellaOnline I have always had friends I could turn to for help, support, and encouragement. In fact, my circle of friends grew tremendously when I joined this community.

I also feel good when I encourage and support my friends here.