In today's interview on MDL, Cody Ferguson takes us along on his journey creating mindfulness. He opens up about his most meaningful relationships and what he has had to do to help them thrive.

"A friend is someone who walks in when the whole world walks out.”

Let’s take a day to think about friendship.

Who would be there for you if the whole world walked out on you?

Think about it…

I realize that when I ask this question you might have 3 possible responses.

If that is you… I am so sorry. That is a horrible place to be… to be in the place where you are suffering the brunt of your relationships that didn’t last. The ones that fell apart…

I don’t think any of us make it our primary goal in life to experience this type. Of profound loneliness.

I don’t know what the reason is… or the narrative you have created in your head but let me share some truths with you that I hope will bring hope and healing to the lonely space in you today.

- We have all experienced a friendship in which the other party wronged us… at least in our perception. It could be they didn’t show up to the party that meant a lot to you… It could be they lied to you… it could be they stole something from you. Whatever the case - until you forgive that person for hurting you (forgiveness does not mean you have to be friends again…) you lose capacity to create bonds with new people. So forgive. Choose to stop dwelling on how they wronged you. Unforgiven-ness will hold you back.

- So often we wish we had someone close who is willing to show us love and grace and compassion… to communicate… to initiate fun, create memories… Here is an idea if you are feeing lonely. What if you became the friend you wish you had to someone close to you?

Learn to Forgive - Give first - Start with God!

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." Mother Teresa

I know this lift might sound super elementary to you… but when you can work it into your every day routine I think it can change the game…

You have the ability to make someone feel like a million bucks. Everyday.

How crazy is that.

That it doesn’t matter what’s in your actual bank account, but your intentional and uplifting language can thrust someone into a better headspace, can help someone not feel so lonely, can improve someones self-esteem…

Isn’t it funny how we know this to be true but we can be so… stingy with our words? Like we literally have to power to say something so simple to someone. I like your outfit! Or like even gas them up… “Yeah - you parented the mess out of those kids!” That kind of stuff changes peoples lives!

Why do we keep that to ourselves?

Maybe because we are fixated on ourselves and other people? I am guilty of that…

Maybe we don’t place importance on that act of speaking kind words?

I don’t know…

But here is the truth…

The most valuable gift you possess is the ability to speak kind words over people! To make them feel like a million bucks!

Try that today… be generous with your words towards one person today! And make it a daily habit.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” - Philo

Here is your friendly reminder today that when someone is not proactive in their relationship with you, when someone is creating distance in your friendship, when someone is quieter than normal… when that person isn’t paying much attention to you.. that it is not always because of you.

Too often in life we feel as though people are attacking our character through the way they unintentionally treat us. Here’s what I mean by that… Not everything that affects you or hurts your feelings is a result of something you did or someone trying to hurt your feelings.

I’m not saying that there people don’t intentionally try to hurt you… because that can absolutely happen…

But most of us assume that is happening way more than it does in actuality.

Because here is the truth….

People are thinking about themselves way more than they are thinking about you… We all think about ourselves more often than we would like to admit… If you were honest… on any given day the way people experience you is directly connected to the internal battle you are facing that day.

Try this today… The second an interaction with someone in your space goes south, respond with a compassionate thought. Don’t let your mind swirl down the toilet bowl of insecurity, or anger, or revenge, or envy…

Just be intentional about having a compassionate thought towards him/her.

Build in your life what I call “positive regard” for the people around you and the internal or hidden situations that they are working through.

You may have heard it said this way… the benefit of the doubt.

At the end of the day, this is what Kindness and Compassion looks like practically in your everyday!

Here’s what I know… that in my darkest moments, I need people around me who have positive regard toward me, and extend the benefit of the doubt towards me when I haven’t yet found the courage to share the battles I face. Today, you can be that friend for someone.

Today, let’s talk about a super faaar-out raaadical concept that you may have heard slip out of the mouth of the cool office millennial…

Perhaps you are familiar with ‘The Minimalists’ where I derived most of the content from tis show, from.

Or… it’s also very possible you saw something about it on Netflix!

Let’s talk about Minimalism.

Just a forewarning, I would not consider myself a minimalist, and don’t think that in order to achieve utopian nirvana… you have to live in a shipping crate.

If that is your thing, I am so happy for you and proud of you… that’s not my season right now!

Instead, let’s take a couple minutes and extract some concepts that I think you could implement tonight and improve your life.

Let’s start with a quote.

“Minimalism is the thing that gets us past the things

So we can make room for life’s most important things

Which turns out aren’t things at all.” -Ryan Nicodemus

The average American household has 300,000 items in it.

So tonight, go through and count your things! Ha!

Isn’t that staggering? 300,000 items on average that usually do nothing more than take up space, or that we keep around just in case we might “eventually find it useful”

What are some weird things you have kept in your attic or basement that for some reason you hesitate to get rid of?

Maybe it’s old clothing, sentimental items from your kid’s preschool craft sessions, your high school sports awards…

One thing immediately comes to mind for me. I keep around any and all nails, screws, brackets, or any leftover materials from DIY projects. Some of you could be commending me in your head right now… “He is so wise!”

But little do you know that I have never ever once not gone to the local Home-Depot to buy all new materials for the next project!

Don’t you look at me like that! We all have our things.

Whatever you hoarding tendencies are, here is the truth I want us to dwell on today. A Full life has little to do with things we accumulate.

I’m sure there are some purchases or inheritances that temporarily brought you happiness… but don’t play a role in your current level of joy.

I would actually opine the opposite. My parents somewhat recently moved out of my childhood home. They describe their experience of de-cluttering one that has actually made them happier! It has made life simpler! They didn’t realize how much their ‘stuff’ had been subtly stealing their freedom.

Now they are pretty much minimalists like the cool kids!

All kidding aside, your one challenge today is this. Pick day to de-clutter your home, your bedroom, your office… whatever. See how you feel afterwards.

Minimalism is not Deprivation-ism.

It’s not meant to deprive you of things you love.

But here is a great question to ask yourself!

Do the things I own have a purpose or bring me joy?

Say yes to living life lighter! With less that weighs you down! To creating more room to fill your life with the things that no money can buy.