If I think I know your motives, I have just cost myself a friend

If I had a lot of money and someone told me you were my friend because of that, I would say, “Good.” I don’t care why-your motives are not my business, you’re my friend.  Only my motives are my business, and thank you for being my friend.

It doesn’t matter why you’re my friend; the fact is that you’re there for me, you care about me, and the reason isn’t my business.  If you ask me for something and it’s honest for me to give it, I will, and if it isn’t honest for me, I won’t.

To think that you’re motivated by my money is to separate from you.  And if I’m not honest with my no’s and yeses, it could be that I’m trying to buy your friendship with my money.  But when I’m clear, you’re my friend again, inside me.

I don’t care what brings us together.  If I think I know your motives, I have just cost myself a friend.

– Byron Katie

Excerpts from Question Your Thinking, Change The World

For more information about The Work, visit TheWork.com

You might want to read the Introduction of The Work of Byron Katie by Stephen Mitchell.