I was recently listening to Simon Sinek talking on the Diary of a CEO podcast about AI and, essentially, the art and benefit of being human. It was interesting to hear his perspective on topics such as how it's getting in the way of us learning how to fight (and in turn learn conflict resolution) and also that it (along with other platforms like social media) has made us lonelier than ever.

People are turning to AI for the comfort they need, rather than the people around them. Especially now that AI 'talks back', people can feel heard. But I'm not sure it's in the way we need.

It's an amazing irony, isn't it. That in this hyperconnected world, people feel less connected. So now we have to consider that, in cases like this, friendship isn’t just pleasant, it’s protective. To our health, who we are, and to society overall.

Almost like an antidote to loneliness. But only if you do it right.

So, with today being the 2025 International Day of Friendship (24th July), it got me thinking about friendship, and how to do friendship right.

And also just how damn happy I am for those who stand in my corner.

Friendship as a deliberate act

How often have you intended to message a friend and then time just passes? It's been a while since you spoke? It can be surprisingly easy to forget to connect, and then when you do, you realise how much you needed it.

'We should do this more often,' are the lines we always say, confused about why we don't.

But that's the thing about friendship. Being deliberate about it. It's not just about the convenience or the proximity, but about the chosen commitment to show up for those you care for, in the everyday, and especially the not-so-easy days.

The more I think about it, the more I realise being a good friend is a skill. We can learn how to do better. Being a real friend teaches us emotional intelligence, communication, empathy, conflict resolution, repair, reliability. Teaches us how to show up, and even self care, as well as care for others.

Sure, digital connection is useful. But it's not the substitute to showing up and giggling together. Carving out time for coffee, a walk, a shared activity, or even a long and meandering video call if you can't be there in person. Time when no one is multitasking or checking other screens. No checking emails, scrolling reels, or secretly shopping for running shoes. Time it's just two humans meeting up, and choosing each other.

It's not about how often or measuring metrics. It's about how real you can make it. How much you can make it count. Making it feel good and wholesome.

Time as currency

In an era where attention is scattered and stretched and calendars are full, giving someone your undivided presence (in-person or virtually) is radical and meaningful.

After all, how often have you hung out with someone, and they keep checking their phone mid conversation?

It's so frustrating to experience, and disheartening. It feels like they don’t care about you or what you have to say.

It's not just clocking up hours when you're spending time. But how you spent that time. And we want people to be there with us wholly.

It's almost like showing up is friendship’s love language. It's how we show each other we care and we're there for each other.

Human thriving

We’re wired for connection. It's what helped us survive back from the wild savannah days. When we huddled in caves and told stories. Where to find food or shelter.

That hasn’t changed in all these millennia.

The right friendships make life bearable, feel like we're thriving, as if the world is expanding. We feel better emotionally, creatively, even physically.

Even just coffee catch ups or walks or kicking a ball about in a park, it's so human, and so healing for us.

When was the last time you spent time with a friend doing something simple? How did you feel afterwards?

It's those simple moments that remind us we belong somewhere. With people.

Mutual evolution

I find the friends I keep the closest are the ones who move with me. Not literally, but in this game of life. Like it's a shared journey, and we're all changing and growing. Together. Even if we're all working towards different goals, the fact that we're here to cheer one another on and give advice when we need it is what makes walking through the hard times doable.

When friendships are rooted in mutual support and challenge, they become places of real personal growth. It’s not just hanging out, though it's always the best when hanging out becomes little cheering parties for one another. (Let’s have more of these!) Or helping chat about problems. Solving things together. Having someone we can trust to speak openly around, and to listen in turn, too.

We grow best when someone is growing beside us.

And sometimes, we end up in friendships that don't match up.

Some don't evolve. We end up veering away from those we once walked beside. And that's okay too. It's okay to outgrow relationships. Everyone's growing in their own direction. Enjoy it while you're walking together.

A final human message on friendship

I know life feels hard. Busy. There's no time amongst work and parenting and study and chores and ...

Our heads could explode. Or at least feel so overwhelmed and slow and blocked like a browser with 28 tabs left open.

But friends are needed. They're the reason we walk through life happily.

Sure, AI and social media exists conveniently in our pocket. We can talk to them. They’ll talk back. But they shouldn't (and can’t) be a replacement for your friends. The human ones. The ones who live beside us in all the craziness of life. Where we make mistakes and grin about it and then help each other through.

(But no promises on not teasing you about it later, 'kay?)

It's easy to feel lonely in this weird world. But I hope you'll reach out to someone after you've read this. Organise doing something in person with someone. Maybe try a new hobby. Grab a coffee or a ball. Go for a walk.

So here’s your invitation. Text the friend you’ve been meaning to. Lock in that walk. Send the meme. Show up.

Let's choose true human presence in this digital world.