Are you tired of strategic relationships, guilt-trip invitations, crying to your significant other about that one horrible group of girls in your life, listening to your gal-pals rag on your best guy friend, and sticking around to see if it’ll get better?

Maybe I’m the barer of bad news, maybe I’m cynical, maybe I grew up with brothers and have no patience for the chess game that has become friendship between women, but I’ve gotta believe that there are others like me – out there – somewhere!

My best friend until I was ten was amazing – but I don’t know if I ever told her that … if she ever knew that she was probably one of the only females I ever trusted. Why don’t we cherish one another!? Throughout high school and college I had one or two good girlfriends but some of my favorite moments (whether it’s emotionally or psychologically healthy) were with my guy friends. Spending a weekend watching the star wars, godfather, and lord of the rings trilogies; staying up all night to help move a mega-size gazebo in front of the student union doors for April Fools; playing soccer and frisbee golf until we passed out; meeting up for happy hour and darts; being fiercely competitive with Mafia and knowing that they wouldn’t care; and sometimes crying on their shoulders.

This isn’t to say I haven’t done these things with friends who are girls – because I have – just far fewer. I ended up with amazing female friends who were completely different from me, but still had no interest in the drama and emotion which envelopes so many relationships between women.

So listen up ladies! Life is NOT Sex in the City, or Real Housewives of you name the city; it is not Dance Moms, the Bachelor, or WifeSwap. Get yourselves together, take a moment – and reflect on what’s going on in the world outside your cul-de-sac and Facebook page.

The girls and women I most admire and respect are the ones who think of themselves last and have spent their lives trying to make a difference in the lives of others – no matter how small.

While we may be the queens of our homes, there are 3.5 billion other queens in the world so it makes sense that we’ll have to get along. If we got along as well as guys do think of what the world would be like – what a force for good we would be!

I’ve had to work – and still do – on trusting my own gender, but more often than not, letting my guard down and making an effort to get to know someone new has been fruitful. Has it taken time? more often than not. Am I territorial? sure – it’s that whole maternal nature / mating survival instinct thing. Would I rather hang out with my guy friends? sometimes. Do I miss the wonderful women in my life who are spread across the globe – and long for meaningful, sincere relationships? YES!

Let’s think of this as the ten commandments for female relationships:

1. thou shalt make an effort to appreciate the beauty and genius of every girl/woman in your life.

2. thou shalt listen and encourage one another.

3. thou shalt not exclude one another – unless she’s just certifiably insane (they exist).

4. thou shalt go out of your comfort zone and try new things – new relationships.

5. thou shalt not tear one another down and be spiteful.

6. thou shalt inspire the rest of us, young and old!

7. thou shalt love one another enough to compassionately call each other out on our crap.

8. thou shalt grow in humility and learn to move past differences of opinion.

9. thou shalt not go after another’s guy & thou shalt not settle for stupid guys!

10. thou shalt use your gifts & wisdom for good.