Who doesn’t appreciate having someone close by who can be there for them in times of trouble? Someone who can offer a helping hand or a sympathetic ear without passing judgment. This is not necessarily romantic partners, but rather close friends. A friend is someone with whom you can share your innermost thoughts and feelings, laugh at your own jokes, and be completely yourself. Having a tight-knit group of friends at your side makes life easier, whether you’re going through a tough patch or just relaxing with a beer on a chilly night. With the support of friends, you can overcome your shyness and learn to speak effectively with others. There is a lot that goes into creating friends and keeping them around. Now, relax and be thankful; you have a friend in us who can instruct you on how to keep your relationships with those closest to you strong.
Friendship, like every other type of connection, has its ups and downs. Friendships, it is said, become boring and repetitive when there are no disagreements between friends. Just try to picture going through the motions of our daily existence alone. At home, there are some subjects that you can talk about with your parents or other seniors, or even your cousins. But even the dirtiest, darkest secrets are safest when shared amongst friends. Because genuine friends never pass judgment. They grasp your predicament and offer guidance based on it.
Just because he or she is your best friend doesn’t imply you can constantly hop on their backs or breathe down their necks. A strong friendship develops when friends value each other’s personal time and space yet still make time to hang out often. Be objective while giving counsel, especially in issues of the heart; don’t damage their relationships by following them around or making assumptions about their partners’ behaviors. Explore ways to spend time together, keep in touch about what’s going on in your lives, and arrange a trip. Yet it’s important to respect each other’s need for privacy and time away from one other to spend with their own families.
Being dependable is crucial for establishing credibility. Be a rare bird, a person on whom your buddy can count and rely. A potential best friend might walk away if you flake out every once in a while, because there are always other people who are eager to hear, listen, and be there and take care of their needs. But don’t let that turn you into a pushover; instead, keep your pride and learn to politely decline commitments when necessary. There are a million ways to show someone you are thinking of them and vice versa. You can let them know you are thinking about them by sending them the occasional text message or WhatsApp emoticon, or by using social networking sites.