Welcome to the Soul Renovation Podcast.
My name is Ashley and Im a gamification and goal setting expert. A master visionary, strategic planning coach and a A 7 figure entrepreneur.

I LOVE helping people figure out what it is they truly want in life and then teaching them practical steps to take their vision from being a dream to their realty.

Let me guide you in pairing the spiritual world with the business world in order for you to plan your practical strategic steps needed to cross the finish lines of your dreams.

In todays episode we will be talking about the word ‘friend’

In modern times,
how we think of connections has gotten a little bit confusing.
Many people are around you at any given time.
You know people,
work with people,
and have friends and acquaintances.
This makes it harder to identify who you can really count on to be on your team.

Not everyone gets to be in YOUR Game or on your team.
Your team needs to be built off connection and alignment.
Having the right people around you
is an investment in your Game.
It’s important to recognize if you are connected to the people around you
And whether you value them.

Let’s first talk about the word friend.

The (original) Definition:

friend (noun)
- a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection,

- Old English freond "one attached to another by feelings of personal regard and
preference,"from PIE *priy-ont-, "loving," present-participle form of root *pri-"to love."

The word friend used to be a high value word.
It used to be easy to identify who you valued most
and were most connected to in your life.
You called these people your friends.
Most of them would deserve to be in your life in one arena or another.
After all,
to become your friend, you would have applied some sort of filter
when first connecting with them.

If you resonated and aligned with them enough,
you’d maintain that connection in your life.
It makes sense then that,
traditionally, your friends would be included in your team.

Now we need to stop, because this what the word USED to mean
The word ‘friend’ has morphed.
Lets have a look at the modern defining:

Modern Definition:

Friend (verb).
add (someone) to a list of contacts associated with a social networking website.

Example: "I am friended by 29 people who I have not friended back"

While the meaning of friendship was originally attached to deep connection,
love, and understanding,
social media has distorted and eroded the meaning,
devaluing it and our friendships.

As a result of social media,
we no longer use the word friend to distinguish between the most important
and most valuable people in our lives
and those we have tenuous relationships with.

Now, the word friend means
nothing more than someone you clicked and connected with through an online platform.
In most cases,
there’s little to no evidence of real connection,
or even communication.
You may not even know the person’s last name,
birthday,
what city they grew up in,
or where they live.

Social media has diluted social connection.
It has convinced people to create hundreds, even thousands, of fake or,
At best, “micro” friendships and connections.

It is no longer second nature to seek quality connection
and spend quality time with your friends.

Most of your communication is done online
with people with whom you do not have a real and supportive connection.

As a result,
your real relationships and connections suffer.

In your real life,
you no longer know how to spend quality time with the right people.

The people who deserve a place on your team
and who deserve your time and energy
are not getting it.

Because of social media,
you are attach more people than ever before to the label “friend”
despite having very little connection with them.

Because this word is overused
and misused in your life,
you have an overcirculation of people in your life
who do not align with your purpose,
do not resonate with you,
and do not support your Game in any way.

There is very little to no reason for these people to be in your life.
Every time you apply the word friend to these people,
you are eroding the very meaning of the word.

Remember, as I’ll say again and again throughout my series,
words matter.
Every time you call these people your friends,
you are devaluing your actual friendships and connections.

Thinkcarefully about where you want to put your attention
and who you want to give your energy to.
Attention and energy are both resources:
you must carefully decide how to best allocate them
to win at your Game.

Ready to Begin Your Soul Journey?

You can explore the full Soul Game experience in the format that suits you best:

✅ Read the Book – for a deep, reflective reading experience.

✅ Watch the Video Series – for visual learners who prefer guided, engaging content. Start now and reclaim the lost parts of yourself.

👉 Visit the Soul Game Course & Book Page