There are many kinds of companionship. These include caring, compelling goal and creative companionship. There are also several definitions for these experience. These include the following.
Companionship
A feeling of friendship, fellowship or partnership. A feeling of pleasure or togetherness with loved ones, kindred spirits or like-minded people.
A feeling of being together with a person or others on a shared journey. This can lead to a feeling of fulfilment in our lives or work.
The following section looks at several different kinds of companionship. You will, of course, have your own definition for such experiences.
Caring Companionship
Many people follow this approach. They aim to be a caring companion for their partner, children, friends and other key people. They may show this through affection, encouragement or affirmation.
Some healthy couples, for example, continue to build their relationships by focusing on affections, acceptance and adventure. Let’s explore these themes.
Affection
They show each other affection. Some may do this in a physical way. Some may do it in a psychological way.
They may show affection by making the other person feel welcome and helping them to feel the centre of their world. They may do it in simple ways, such as making them a cup of tea, listening and encouraging them.
Acceptance
They build on the things they have in common. They also find ways to encourage and, in some cases, manage any differences. They recognises that differences can make or break a relationship.
Healthy couples, for example, accept each other rather than constantly try to change each other. They realise that, after a certain time, people do not change all that much. They are clear on:
The differences they want to encourage, because these make the other person special;
The differences they are prepared to accept, because the person probably won’t change certain habits;
The differences they would like the person to change and how. It is vital for them to give a positive alternative.
Regarding the latter differences, they may suggest how they would like the person to behave in the future. But what if the person refuses to change? The person making the suggestion has a decision to make.
They can recognise that the other person is not going to change and accept the difference. They can keep trying to persuade the person to change. They can, if they feel the difference is too painful, choose to leave the relationship because there is no point in being a victim.
Adventure
Healthy couples share adventures together. These can be big adventures or even simply enjoying small talk together. They feel uplifted after their time together.
They may then individually go apart and pursue their own interests and adventures. This are ones that help them to feel alive but that do cause pain in the relationship.
The couple may then come back together to share what they have each been doing. They then build on what they have in common and share adventures. Sometimes this is simply chatting but in a positive way.
Such couples aim to enjoy their time together and also when they are apart. They take this approach to building a mutually enriching relationship.
Many parents continue to be caring companions for their children. They help them to be healthy, hopeful and happy. They encourage them to be authentic, build on their strengths and help other people.
They encourage them to build on who they are rather than worry about who they are not. They encourage them to become the best they can be rather than compare themselves to other people.
Different people have different kinds of caring companions. Some may have dogs, horses or other animals who act in this way. Some may spend time in their garden or other healing environments that act as a stimulating sanctuary.
Compelling Goal
Companionship
Some people act as companions when working to achieve a compelling goal. They may be serving a cause, saving lives, playing a sport, tackling a challenge or doing another activity.
Such people choose to opt into working to achieve the compelling goal. They then coordinate their efforts to do superb work and deliver the desired concrete results.
People who follow this approach are choosing to serve something greater than themselves. They may or may not be kindred spirits but what matters is the work. They then combine their talents to achieve the desired picture of success.
Such people may look back on the experience with fond memories. They remember the sense of mission, the ups and downs and the fun times. They remember working as companions to achieve the compelling goal.
Creative Companionship
Such people follow this approach to do creative work together. They may be brainstorming ideas, playing music, performing on stage or doing other creative activities.
Some people meet to simply get stimulation. They may enjoy talking, sharing ideas or exploring certain topics. This can act as a spur for doing creative work by themselves or with other people.
Some follow this approach to work towards a specific goal. They may aim to write songs, develop their comedy act, find solutions to a problem or do other activities.
Such people work well together as creative companions but may not spend time together in other situations. What matters is the work, however, and continuing to improve their performance.
Some people have other kinds of creative companions. The Greeks talked about getting inspiration from their muses. Other people may get inspiration from writers, musicians and other people they have never met.
There are many kinds of companionship. These include caring, compelling goal and creative companionship. Sometimes we draw inspiration from all these sources.
Let’s return to your own life and work. Looking ahead, can you think of situation where you want to follow some elements of the companionship approaches? This could be in your personal or professional life.
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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