Relationships Information presented by the helpful gang over at personals4all

Eight Ways to be a Better Friend


Being a good friend is a skill we can learn and improve upon. Here, eight ways to be a better friend.

Number One: Like yourself

The first step in having a good relationship with a friend is to have a good relationship with yourself. When we genuinely like ourselves, we become more attractive to other people. We have more to offer others because we are not constantly focused on our own image and reputation.

We become better friends because we don't cling. We are secure enough to spend time with a friend because we want to, not because we need to.

Number Two: Choose wisely

Relationships among true friends take a steady dose of time and energy--two resources in limited supply for all of us. Identify the friends with whom you wish to create a closer bond. It's perfectly okay if not all of your acquaintances make the list. The closeness of your connections is far more important than the length of your guest lists.

Number Three: Make the time

Friends are important in many ways--so much so that these relationships often take on a life of their own. You owe it to yourself (and to your friends) to make these relationships a priority. Carve out some quality time for one another.

Number Four: Make the first move

If you want to improve your relationships, put your fear of rejection aside and start taking more risks. Invite your friends to lunch. Organize a new playgroup. Invite them over for dinner.

Too often, we fail to follow up with our friends. Don't miss out-just make the first phone call. Your friends are just as anxious to get together as you are.

Number Five: The Golden Rule

Treat your friends as you wish to be treated. Stated another way: "To have a friend, be a friend."

Focus more on being interested than on being interesting. Be enthusiastic and energetic. Avoid complaining, gossiping, and criticizing.

Number Six: Sweat the Small Stuff

Make your friends feel significant by remembering small kindnesses. Notice her new haircut. Remember to ask about her mother-in-law's surgery. Send flowers or a simple email when you know she needs it most.

Number Seven: Listen

Good listeners are hard to find, and honing your skills can be a long-term project.

A few tips:

-Slow down. Try not to finish your friend's sentences. If you catch yourself planning your response while your friend is still talking, gently remind yourself to focus on the speaker.

-Show her you are listening. Maintain eye contact. Offer nods and murmurs that indicate you understand her point of view.

-Minimize distractions.

-Ask questions.

-Be careful with advice. Assume your friend wants to vent her frustrations, not ask you for a plan of action.

Number Eight: Be loyal

We all need someone in our corner. If your friend isn't there to defend herself against gossip or criticism, speak up, and know she would do the same for you.

Susie Cortright is the founder of momscape.com and Momscape's Scrapbooking Playground - http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking Visit today to subscribe to her free weekly newsletters and to get more information on her scrapbook club and work-at-home scrapbooking business.


MORE RESOURCES:

Examiner.com

Relationship Resolutions for the New Year - Take Action!
Examiner.com - 5 hours ago
by Elizabeth Aloni, Chicago Relationships Examiner Happy New Year! I am sure are thinking and hearing a lot about resolutions as you do every late December ...


Relationship 911: Incompatibility landmines
San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA - 4 hours ago
Compatibility, perhaps more than any other factor, is critical to the success and sustainability of an interpersonal love relationship. ...


Examiner.com

Evaluate Your Work Relationships
Examiner.com - 5 hours ago
by Steve Arneson, Leadership Examiner Work is basically a series of relationships. Everyone you work with represents a distinct interaction and an ...


Four ways to improve your relationship in 2009
College News, IL - 39 minutes ago
Here are some ways that you can utilize to show your partner that your old, tired relationship was so last year! 1). Get out of the normal realm: In ...


Rethinking relationships abroad
The Santa Clara,  USA - 8 hours ago
However, we shouldn't reconsider our country's relationship with Cuba just because we can appreciate its rich culture. Even if it was the most boring place ...


Voice of America

China, US upbeat on future of bilateral relationship
The Age, Australia - Jan 7, 2009
Top Chinese and US diplomats applauded 30 years of formal ties on Wednesday and expressed hope that one of the world's key bilateral relationships will stay ...
Senior official says US, China ties strengthen International Herald Tribune
Ping Pong Match Commemorates US-China 'Ping Pong Diplomacy' Voice of America
all 357 news articles


Xinhua

Museum of failed love offers balm for heartbreak
Reuters - Jan 7, 2009
The "Museum of Broken Relationships," which opened in Singapore on Wednesday, is a traveling display of items related to failed relationships donated by ...
Museum displays items of broken relationships Xinhua
FAILED LOVE MUSEUM Javno.hr
all 18 news articles


Making your long-distance relationship work
Willows Journal,  United States - Jan 7, 2009
You face the challenge of the “long distance relationship” -- a lifestyle choice for about 25 million people around the world. Long-distance relationships ...
Why Some Married Couples Live Apart YourTango
all 4 news articles


Canada.com

Want to Fix a Bad Relationship? Take a Love Pill.
RedOrbit, TX - 5 hours ago
His investigation of prairie voles has exposed that a shot of the correct hormone can dramatically change relationships. The rodents are a good substitute ...
Hormones' complex role in human sexuality San Francisco Chronicle
Commitment serum Globe and Mail
Is love just a chemical cocktail? BBC News
Wired News - Reuters India
all 58 news articles


Specialties: Love/relationships, Destiny/life path, Past lives
California Psychics, CA - 3 hours ago
She truly believes in you and your relationship. I love when she uses the word soulmate. When I am feeling depressed about the relationship she always makes ...

Relationships - Google News

home | site map
© 2006