Impact

Friendship and camaraderie is a curious thing. Many friendships and, in general, relationships between people are formed on a mutuality of something: an interest, a belief, a cause, a dream. The list is endless. However, there comes a point in that relationship where trust needs to be established, and one person has to let another into their lives and trust them with information. The act of opening up to someone or having someone open up to you is an essential part of the human experience, and it is one of the most surefire ways to establish a real relationship. Knowing someone's story or their thoughts or their struggles makes you that much more connected to them, because we tend to display empathy across the human race; that is, we internalize everything that people say and try to relate it to something, anything, in our own lives. This allows us to establish and maintain positive, understanding relationships for years to come. In any case, having someone share a secret with you means something, something more than merely a surface scratch. Knowing someone trusts you enough to open up to you leaves a lasting mark on personalities, and it leaves permanent impact. The way that we impact and influence people in our lives is by making a true connection with them and displaying support and empathy. Human connection is important, and only possible if someone initiates that leap of faith out of their comfort zone and displays their vulnerable but human side.