Over the years I have come to appreciate my close female friends in more ways than I can count.

My group of mom friends is always there to help me through the tough times and to celebrate the joys. Likewise, I have my group of friends that help cheer me on professionally and are always available to offer wise advice or constructive criticism.

I have no doubt that without them, I would be even more of a hot mess than I already am.

It turns out that science supports what I already knew, women with strong female friendships have more success professionally and more happiness in their personal life.

In this recent article from Upworthy.com they shared information from the Harvard Business Review that proves how much of a difference a close group of female friends can make.

Women who were in the top quartile of centrality and had a female-dominated inner circle of 1-3 women landed leadership positions that were 2.5 times higher in authority and pay than those of their female peers lacking this combination.

The article went on to share that "Women who had 10 or more friends were more likely to survive [breast cancer] than women who lacked close friends."

Professionally, women are more willing to take risks and make a big ask if they have a supportive group of friends cheering them on. Having like-minded women to offer advice and share hard-won wisdom also gives you a boost.

Personally, having a trusted group to vent with you and laugh and cry through the daily ups and downs offers stress relief and strength.

To sum it up, it's worth putting in the time and effort into finding your tribe.

And feel free to show this to your partner when they roll their eyes about you having a girls night out ;)

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