What exactly is a friend? Would you even consider yourself a true friend? Would you want to be friends with you? Okay, pause. That last question should have you thinking. Nobody is perfect, but maybe we all could use a tad improvement in our “friend” characteristics. Here are a few pointers that I think could assist with that.
Stop Being in Such a Bad Mood (All the Time)
We all have our days where we are not feeling it, but if that’s you all the time, stop it! Your friends do not want to be around someone who constantly dampers everyone else’s mood because they are always in a bad mood themselves. If you happen to be having a bad day and are too stubborn to allow that to be changed, let everyone know and stay at home if there are plans that day. Don’t ruin the fun for others. You woke up this morning, you are blessed, so try not to let every little thing affect you. Don’t be a salty Sallie.
Support, Support, Support
If your friend is comfortable enough to tell you their future goals or aspirations, you should be the one to encourage them. Do not try to talk them out of it. If your friend has a business or brand, share it with others. One of the main purposes of a friend is to encourage the other, not put them down.
Communicate
Friendships are not always peachy, peachy. There will be conflict and there will be things that the other does that you don’t agree with. Let them know what you find wrong, but in a respectful manner. You can have a disagreement and still be besties.
Be There
Real friends understand that everybody is busy doing their own thing and you may not be able to speak every day of the week. Whether you are in school, working or doing both, all it takes is a text or phone call just to check on someone every now and then. You don’t have to talk to each other every day, but it is okay to make sure the other is doing fine.
In friendships, the feelings should be mutual. A friend should only bring you good energy, fun and laughs. If they’re doing the opposite, you may not need to call that person a friend. Even if anything said applied to you or while reading this you realize you do some things that would not be acceptable as a friend, you can still change that. A good friend is hard to find, so make yourself that good friend.