The 50/50 Friendship Flow

I was quite interested in reading this book because of the concept of life enriched by friendship. After all, I have been blessed with great friends, especially girlfriends, who have supported and encouraged me at various stages of my life. I have also learned so much from them.

 

Besides, the author Shari Leid is a cancer survivor, wife, mother, an adoptee and an adoptive parent, a litigator, and a life coach. I love reading books by people who work hard, overcome many odds, and achieve lots. 

Shari meets with 50 women friends in a year. She shares with them what she has learned from them, how they inspire her, and how they have enriched her life. According to her, everyone she meets is both her teacher and her student, regardless of their age or how long they have been her friends. 

By embarking on this journey, Shari intends to reiterate her belief in the effects and significance of relationships. By writing this book, she wishes to show others this. While I am sure she achieved the former, I am not convinced of the latter. 

Shari never mentions the real friendly, natural reactions between her and her friends, leaving these accounts monotonous, repetitive, and stagnant.

For example (from Date 1): 

As I spoke to CC about my hesitation to get involved, she emphasized my value, my worth. She reminded me that my voice is important, and that these messages of self-doubt do not serve me. Although she did not say it directly, I felt as if she were telling me that I have been given many gifts — talents which I am foolishly wasting by not getting involved in my community — and that I have a duty to share my voice.

The 50/50 Friendship Flow Challenge Lesson: It’s important to offer your gifts and your talents, because you have been given the opportunity to make a difference in your community.  

The 50/50 Friendship Flow Challenge to Take Action: Notice the many opportunities that you have in front of you, which are just waiting for the contribution of your unique gifts and talents. 

Repetition in itself is not so bad when it pertains to important points, such as being confident and kind, supporting your friends, and practicing self-care. However, she mentions only what she learned from them and not vice versa, despite believing that she considers everyone she meets both her teacher and student. The result is that the whole book can be summarized into a table:

Date No	Name	First meeting	Credentials/Unique qualities	Meeting venue during the challenge	Lessons learned

I hope that despite these negatives, this book conveys its intended message and inspires its readers to start their version of the 50/50 Friendship Flow Challenge.

Note: Kourtney Sokmen from Smith Publicity gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.