Yesterday was a day filled with talking. Specifically to some of the people that I hold nearest and dearest to my heart. These interactions were the inspiration for the 3 things I chose to write about today for my Gratefulness Challenge. There is no better inspiration for anything in life than the people you care about the most.

1. Timeless friendships: In my life I have lived in eight different homes, three different cities and have friends living all over the world. On top of that I also live a fairly busy life and tend to be friends with people with similarly busy schedules. It’s hard to find time to keep as in touch with people as I would like and though I do my best sometimes our meetings are spread far apart throughout the year.

But what’s wonderful is when you finally get to sit down with them and it’s as if you saw them the day before. Nothing has changed. You pick up right where you left off without hesitation. Now sure it helps that we have facebook and twitter and email and text to keep us in the loop about the day to day, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will have anything to talk about. Sometimes people just grow apart when there’s been too much space.

But when two people truly click, how much you have changed since the last time you spoke doesn’t seem to matter. You can skip past the awkwardness straight to the meat of the relationship. It takes a unique kind of friendship to withstand the demands of being apart. Considering the kind of life I live I am glad to have those kinds of friends. Without them I would be very lonely.

2. Thought provoking conversation: I’m not saying that talking about the frivolous isn’t worthwhile and fun. We all need some frivolous in our lives from time to time. It’s not even that we necessarily need serious conversation, because life can get unnecessarily serious quite quickly. What I do cherish are the conversations that cause me to rethink things. Conversations that shake me up and cause me to see a different perspective. Especially if it’s about a topic that I have strong opinions about.

It’s easy to miss the opportunities to have those kinds of talks. Many people are scared to go there either for fear of upsetting someone else or for fear of upsetting themselves. It’s hard to be open and wiling to discuss the tough stuff, but they are some of the most fulfilling talks to have. My day yesterday was full of them and I came away feeling satisfied and with a lot to mull over. I am grateful I am able to be open enough to other people’s thought’s to engage in such kinds of conversations and also that my friends feel comfortable enough with me to talk about things that really matter to them.

3. Not having all the answers: I remember being a kid and wanting to know EVERYTHING. I had a thirst for learning. Then as a teenager I remember truly believing that I knew it all. And then there came a point that I finally accepted what factually I already knew to be true: knowing it all is impossible. At first this might of seemed sad, but now it is one of the most comforting thoughts for me.

Firstly because it means there are still tons of things left to learn! You never know what’s around the corner and that is so exciting. Not knowing everything means that you can still explore, question and continue to grow. You can still be a kid at heart and cultivate your curious side, because every answers creates new questions, therefore sending you off on new journeys.

Secondly, not having all the answers is comforting because it takes the pressure off of me to know it all. That simple acknowledgement of not being all knowing and all seeing allows me the freedom to continue along my journey without feeling stressed to perform. This isn’t to mean that I am not responsible for my own actions or my own destiny, because personally I believe I am. What it does mean is that there is more to life than my body is physically capable of comprehending. So instead of stressing about getting a perfect score on the test, I can focus on just enjoying living and being present in this moment. Not having all the answers helps me accept what I don’t understand and instead remain open to whatever knowledge may come my way which will help bring me clarity.