Testing your friendships (and yourself)
I came across a great little test by Ross McCammon called The Two Beers and a Puppy Test. The idea is when you’re thinking about someone in your life, ask yourself two questions:
Would I want to have two beers with this person?
Would I trust them to look after my puppy?
If the answer to both is yes, you’ve got yourself someone to keep in your world. If it’s no to both, maybe that relationship belongs in a different category.
Test results this week
This week I’m in New York with my best friend, someone who passes the test with flying colors. She’s fun, loyal, we laugh until we’re crying (or cry until we’re laughing), and she’s someone I’d trust with anything (puppy or otherwise). But how often do we actually pause to check in on who we’re surrounding ourselves with?
We become like the people we spend the most time with. If you want to grow, feel inspired, or simply feel at peace, then the company you keep matters deeply (see last week’s blog!). This little two-question test is a quick way to remind yourself who energizes you, who drains you, and who maybe belongs on the “one beer, no puppy” list.
But I have something to add on to this test, because it’s easy to evaluate others, but what about us? How would we fare if someone held us up to the test? Would people want to share beers with us . . do we bring presence, good humor, curiosity? And would they hand over their puppy . . are we reliable, kind, and trustworthy?
It’s not about passing with perfection, but about asking ourselves, “Am I the kind of friend, partner, or colleague who can be counted on for joy and for care?”
So this week, try a little experiment:
Notice who in your life passes the two-beers-and-a-puppy test. Appreciate them, and maybe even tell them.
Ask yourself how you’d like to pass the test in other people’s eyes, and think about what small adjustments would bring you closer to that.
The best relationships aren’t just about who we let in. They’re about the energy we bring and the trust we build.
And if reading this makes you realise it’s time to make a change in who you spend your time with, or how you want to be remembered on someone else’s test, drop me a message here. Sometimes all it takes is one honest conversation to begin changing the story!
