“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
-Marcel Proust
When we come to this world, we are already provided with a family who supports us. But when we grow up, we outgrow our family and tend to choose our own family. We call them friends. In today’s world, most of us find it difficult to find true friends. We are often puzzled about how to look for a genuine friend who values friendship. And in the end, we tend to lose our faith in friendship. Covid-19 has also affected the ease of making friends, especially for adults. According to the Survey Centre of American Life, post-covid Americans are reported to have fewer friends than they usually had. So, let us start our friendship game all over again. Let us find some great friends and enjoy our lives as we used to do as children. This blog will serve the purpose of reminding you how important a true friendship is in our lives and how to be a good friend to someone.
When we are children, we can make friends easily as we do not fear any complications. But as we grow up, we find it difficult to connect to people.
What are some of the easy ways to start a friendship?
- We need to find some common ground to start a conversation with a person. If two people share common interests, it becomes a lot easier to connect.
- If we are looking for meaningful connections, we should try to be open and not be afraid to be ourselves in front of others.
- We need to set boundaries for ourselves. This also makes it easier to find people who respect you as a person.
- We often forget about the other person while talking and tend to talk only about ourselves, our problems, etc. For a connection to work correctly, we must listen to each other. A mindful conversation helps to build a meaningful relationship.
We often complain about not having a true friend with whom we can share all the nitty-gritty of life, and with whom we can cherish our moments. But how often do we think about how can we become a true friend to someone? How can we support someone to get over a rough patch just by being a good friend?
What are some of the qualities of a good friend?
- Honest: Honesty is the best policy for maintaining a true friendship. Good friends need to be honest with each other. Sometimes honesty can hurt a little, but it is still the best possible way, to tell the truth. Be honest with your friend, express your feelings, share your secret and make that friendship even stronger.
- Caring: Good friends are always caring. They understand each other and care for their friends. Good friends always be there for us in our highs and lows.
- Attentive: Friends always understand when their friend is not well. As you are attentive towards your friend, you will quickly understand that something is wrong. Listen to your friend, understand their perspective, and stick around them in hard times and there you are a true example of a good friend.
- Supportive: Be a supportive friend! Support your friends in their decisions and also be with them to get over their failures. Even if you do not agree with their decision, understand their mindset and think about what is better for them. Having great support can lead people to their zenith and you can be that true supportive friend!
- Non-judgemental: Each of us is different. You can be a part of a true friendship only if you can embrace the difference. Accept that you are not here to change someone. You can help them in their journey without being judgemental.
True friendship empowers the real you
We all have or had our fare-share of a true friendship which we all celebrated. When we were in school, we all had friends who had helped us with our studies, pushed us hard to do well in exams and shared their secrets as well as kept our secrets with them. As we grow up, things get complicated and we don’t easily trust someone enough to make them our companions. But most of us are lucky enough to have at least one true friend. A true friendship helps you to be a better version of yourself. It helps you to explore the unknown, fight against your fear and discover a new you. We can have fights but at the end of the day what matters the most is that you understand each other.
When we are adults, we often fail to give time to our friendships or think that it is a waste of time. We are busy with careers, money, status and so on. But when we settle down and become aged, we will understand what we have missed. Studies support that friendship is related to our happiness. Our basic needs are satisfied when we have a good friendship and it is directly related to our happiness.
It is high time that we start caring about our friendships and take time to celebrate. Aristotle once said, “No one would choose to live without friends, even if he had all other goods.” It is true and we should also start understanding the value of friends.
Make friends and create a life worth living. Take time to thank your friends for their immense support in your lives and put some effort into maintaining lifelong friendships! Having friends to rely on is the most amazing thing. So, make good friends and create a life worth living!
Amrita Chowdhury
Amrita is an experienced content writer who is passionate about weaving words into stories so that they can reach the audience across all boundaries. She is passionate about reaching and communicating with people worldwide through her content.
