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?
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