Reflect on Friendship

Now during the holidays and in the new year it is a good point in time for us to reflect. As we grow we make new friendships and reflect on the friendships we have. Here are some pointers about how to develop good lasting friendships.

No one in this entire world can completely live alone. It’s been said that each one of us needs others (read friends) to walk and live this life together. Yet, it’s a hard thing to do since we all might have different story, background and cultures. But, when we see the bigger pictures, differences are ones that make the world we live in more beautiful.
5 simple ways to be good friend
1st
Be who you truly are, be that vulnerable, and provide the other person the space, safety and choice to do the same. (Cynthia Ruprecht Hunt)
We need to be real. No one wants to have a friend who doesn’t even being real with her or himself at all. Can we imagine what kind of friendship we are going to have when we are friends with a fake friend?
Good friend can accept us the way we are; even it’s hard at the beginning, because there is no room to pretend and be perfect.

2nd
Be kind and listen. Be fun and light
When it’s time to be serious, you get down to business. No goofing off. No cheap attempt at being funny to avoid the real issues. You may argue from time to time and that’s alright. It’s natural. Be mature and aim at finding common ground instead of trying to divert the attention elsewhere.
There are times to be messing around, but it gets tiring for others if you don’t know how or when to turn it off. If you can’t then how can others trust you enough to share important things with you?
Be serious when needed, love extensively, and forgive always. (Sandra Lumb)

3rd
Go the extra mile when they ask for help.
When they ask for your opinion or help on something that means something. It means they value what you think. If someone hands you an essay asking for you to help proofread or revise it then go the extra mile. Bust out a red pen and start marking it up. Show them you’re as invested as they are.

This means never half-assist things when it comes to your friends. These are your friends we’re talking about here. It’s a committed relationship and it sucks when the other person doesn’t put in effort to help when needed.

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

4th

Be loyal and forgive

Be faithful to your friends. Never say unpleasant things behind their back. Surely we don’t want our good friend saying and telling others the unpleasant things about ourselves, do we?
No matter how busy lives get, always learn to have a quality time with our friends, especially when lives get hard and knock them off.
In the other side, we need to ask and forgive one another. It takes a lot to admit when we did something wrong.
Don’t be afraid of admitting to our friends that we messed up. It happens to the best of us. Someone who can swallow his or her pride and admit they’re in the wrong is a great friend.

5th
Be genuinely happy for them
Cheers and praise them when they make achievement. Good friends will completely walk by their side both in hard and good times. Be genuinely happy, so they know that we are a supportive person for them. We love them in all seasons of their lives.
We rise by lifting others. –Robert Ingersoll

Let us be good friends

Reference: http://www.selfstairway.com/how-to-be-a-good-friend/