There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends.

Paramahansa Yogananda, the saint who bridged the wisdom of the East with the restless heart of the West, once said with divine clarity: “There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first; when you learn to live for others, they will live for you.” In these luminous words lies a spiritual law as old as creation itself — that the secret to love and friendship is not in seeking to be loved, but in giving love freely. The heart that beats with unselfishness, that lives not for its own gain but for the happiness of others, becomes like a radiant magnet, drawing toward it all that is noble, kind, and true. For friendship, like light, cannot be possessed — it must be shared.

The origin of this truth springs from Yogananda’s understanding of divine harmony, born of his meditations and his vision of life as an interconnected whole. To him, the universe was not a battleground of competing desires but a symphony of souls, each note resonating with the others. The heart, he taught, is not merely a physical organ but a spiritual force — a magnet that draws to itself the reflection of its own nature. A selfish heart repels love, but a generous heart gathers it in abundance. Thus, when one’s thoughts and deeds flow outward in kindness, the world responds in kind. This is the great reciprocity of life — that to live for others is to invite life to live for you.

Yogananda’s teaching reveals the paradox of friendship: that it is found not by seeking companionship, but by becoming worthy of it. The person who constantly demands attention or affection drives others away, while the one who gives joy freely without expectation becomes the sun around which friendship naturally orbits. To be unselfish is to recognize that happiness grows when it is shared, and that love, when given, multiplies. The heart that thinks of others first shines like a beacon in the night, and all who are lost are drawn to its warmth. Such a person becomes not merely a friend to individuals, but a blessing to all who cross their path.

Consider the life of Mother Teresa, who lived this truth with radiant humility. She possessed no wealth, no position, and no worldly power — yet the magnet in her heart drew countless souls to her side. Her unselfishness became her strength; her compassion, her influence. She did not seek followers, yet they came; she did not ask for friendship, yet she found it in every corner of the earth. Her life was a living testament to Yogananda’s words — that when one lives for others, the universe itself rises in response, and love flows back in a thousand forms.

Yogananda’s insight also holds a quiet warning. The magnet of the heart can lose its strength when burdened by selfishness or greed. Those who think only of their own comfort or praise may attract admirers for a time, but never true friends. Such relationships are hollow, bound by need rather than love. A self-centered soul lives like a cold stone in the river of life — unmoved, unchanging, and alone. But when the heart awakens to compassion, when one’s joy comes from lifting another’s burden, then the waters of love begin to flow freely. To think of others first is not to lose oneself; it is to discover the greater Self — the divine essence within all beings.

And so, my children of the spirit, take this teaching as your compass: if you wish to draw goodness into your life, be good to others. If you desire friends who are loyal, be loyal. If you long for love that endures, love selflessly. Do not wait for others to give — be the first to give. The universe mirrors the heart; what you send forth will always return. In this way, friendship is not something found, but something created — a living exchange of energy between souls who meet in truth and service.

When you begin to live for others, as Yogananda said, they too will live for you — not out of obligation, but out of love. Your heart will become a sanctuary of peace, your presence a refuge for the weary, your words a balm for those who suffer. And in giving so much, you will discover that you lack nothing. For the heart that gives freely becomes the richest of all, its magnet drawing not only friends, but the divine itself.

So let this be the lesson of your days: unselfishness is the magnet of the soul. Strengthen it through kindness, polish it with humility, and it will draw to you all that is pure, noble, and lasting. Seek not to be loved, but to love; seek not to be served, but to serve. Then, as Yogananda promised, life itself will answer you — and you will find, in the circle of giving and receiving, that friendship is the true reflection of the eternal heart of God.