How to Be a Good Friend 7 Ways to Avoid Friendship Failures ...
By Alison • 6 Comments
By Alison • 6 Comments
Be a Good Friend, because it will always come back to you in spades. Friends come and go throughout our lives. Sometimes this is a natural life development, sometimes it's because they let us down. However, it can be us who have forgotten how to be a good friend. As with any relationship, friendships take work and thought. So if your friendships don't seem to work out very well, take a look at what you could do to be a good friend.
Friendship is a two-way street – you have to put into it as well as take from it. So don't forget to be a good friend to your pals. Help them out and support them when they need it, listen to their worries and make time for them. In short, treat them as you would like to be treated.
Some friendships endure regardless of distance or the time that passes between meetings. Most, however, need nurturing. If you're never the one to call, or only get in contact when you want something, your friends may feel used and drop you. If you really want to have someone in your life, make an effort. Call to ask how they are, suggest meetings, invite them for dinner – show them that you want them around.
If you truly want to be a good friend, then you need to choose carefully. After all, how can you be a good friend to someone that you're not really that interested in? Keeping it going will just be too much effort, and it's not kind to let someone think that you like them more than you do. So make sure that you genuinely want people as your friends.
We all have times when other issues take priority in our lives, but don't neglect your friends. You may have one of those great friendships where you can pick up right where you left off, even after a long time, but most need nurturing. These days, it's easy to drop people a quick email or message to keep in touch, so there's no excuse!
When we meet a new partner, it's not unusual to get absorbed in the excitement. You want to spend all your time with them, and forget about your friends. This can be very irritating for them, as they feel that you only want to spend time with them when you've got nothing better to do.
Sometimes other people try to get you to be friends with a person that you wouldn't otherwise choose to spend time with. For example, your boyfriend may want you to be friends with his best mate's girlfriend. That's fine if you genuinely like her, but don't let yourself be pushed into being friends with someone – because you just won't be a good friend if your heart's not in it.
It can be tempting to try to turn some friendships into relationships. There are cases where this has worked very well, but be careful. In most situations, it's better to have and to be a good friend, rather than muddle the issue and have things end badly. Nobody wants to lose a good friend.
Always remember that to have good friends, you have to be a good friend. These tips are handy not only for making new friends, but to keep the friendships that you already have working well. Some are effortless, others not, and it's easy to take people for granted and forget what it takes to be a good friend. What would you do to be a good friend?
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