Lasting
friendships result in a great deal of pleasure and fulfillment in life. Friends
smooth out our rough edges, improve our personality, and can add a sense of
gratification to our daily activities. These seven tips will help you restore
old relationships as well as create lasting new ones.
Praise where praise is due works
wonders in building a lasting friendship. Simply voicing appreciation for
another's qualities or actions will add value to your friendship and increase
the strength of the bond between you.
Lending a helping hand in times
of need will always increase the significance of a friendship. Offering to
help with a difficult task or just a ride to work when a car is broke down
can be a godsend at the right time. Keep your eyes open and notice when a
friend has a problem. Many people won't voice their need, but will
gratefully accept help when offered.
Make your presence felt when
things aren't going well. Being available when a friend is in trouble will
create a huge deposit in your friends trust account. This is not always
easy and may cost you something, but a true friendship is well worth the
effort. The sun will shine again and your friend may well be there for you
when the situation is reversed.
Invest time in your partnership.
Just like your relationship with God or your family, companionship
requires time and effort. When not other wise occupied, simply taking the
time to plan a special outing or get together can convey to your partner
or friend that you feel they are worth extra effort.
With the proliferation of
computers we now have the ability to email or chat with our friends at the
click of a mouse. Keeping your conversations lively and interesting can be
easy. Add a cute photo to that email, or include an inspiring quote from
the Internet. Short and sweet conversations don't have to take much time
but can multiply a sense of nearness.
Cards and letters on holidays and
birthdays now mean even more than they did when we had less forms of
entertainment. Taking the time to write or send a card can make your
friends day. Too often we feel it is not necessary and this is true, it
isn't; but it is still appreciated when we do.
Constructive criticism when offered in the right tone
and without appearing to be judgmental can truly add value to a relationship.
This is an area where we must use caution so as not to offend, but a true
friend will make a suggestion when it is in a friend's best interests.
Would you like to learn more about keeping your friendships alive? Click Here.
Jay Hopson loves helping people change their lives. Teaching a man to fish, rather than giving him the fish has become a way of life for him. For targeted motivational thoughts, ideas and stories, visit: .InboxMotivations.com
» left by Avis Ward(10,629) Avis Ward (1 year 202 days ago.)
Jay, these are excellent tips! I agree with them all and the one that really stands out is offering to help when you see a need. I am less prone to ask for help but more prone to receive it when offered. Another tip spills over into that, we have to pay attention to our friends to recognize changes, even if positive. Great article, sir! :)
» left by Anonymous (1 year 201 days ago.)
Thank you Avis. Coming from you that is really good to hear. I really admire your work and hope to write more ministry type articles myself.
» left by Avis Ward(10,629) Avis Ward (1 year 201 days ago.)
Jay, I'm flattered and humbled by your comments. They are appreciated so very much. All the best with your ministry type writing. I'm excited to read them. Respond to this comment
» left by Roschelle Nelson(1,284) Roschelle Nelson (1 year 201 days ago.)
Great article. I can really relate to the one about computers. If not for email, myspace or other internet venues, I would hardly ever speak to some of my friends and family in other parts of the country. Respond to this comment
» left by Anonymous (1 year 201 days ago.)
Aren't we fortunate to have such wonders available! Thank you for your comments.
» left by Susan Thom(11,712) Susan Thom (1 year 201 days ago.)
hi jay,
i agree with it all, and wish it could be done by more people, more often.
i try to send my friends emails with pictures, as often as i can, usually once a day. to make someone feel happy and cared about is so easy to do, if we want to. thanks for a well written, interesting article,
best regards,
sue thom Respond to this comment
» left by Jay Hopson(788) Jay Hopson (1 year 201 days ago.)
Thank you Sue, Yes, we are really blessed with some technological greetings extraordinaire (sp?) these days. But, My spell check still can't catch all my misspellings.. lol
I have a friend that I simply adore and would do anything for, but living so far away, it's sometimes difficult to express how much you care about them. These ideas have reminded me of the possibilities. Thanks for your advice.
Elfreda
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