Good friends are hard to come by, as I have learned. You will have people who will be close to you and feel like friends but it is hard to have a really good friend. The first step to gaining friends that last forever is being a good friend yourself. Here you will find tips on being a good friend.
Be trust worthy and willing to tell the truth. Being trustworthy means more than just someone being able to trust you. Trustworthiness is also being able to be relied on while also being honest. In order to be a good friend, you need to be reliable. This could be your friend needing someone to talk to and you help them versus blow them off. Being honest is important in friendship because you need to be able to tell your friend when something they are doing to you or themselves is detrimental.
Be kind and respectful. It is important to be kind and respectful because you should be treating people the way you want to be treated. It is hard to be open and understanding on certain things you believe in when your friend has the opposite beliefs. It is important to be able to agree to disagree and remain respectful of their beliefs.
Be there for them no matter what. There are certain things that I myself will not be there for as many others would not either. These things are drugs and illegal activities. This is not what being there for your friend means. Being there n matter what means not leaving when things get hard. Being there when they are going through the good times but also the rough times. I myself have had friends who were there when it was great but left when it got tough. I have also been the friend that was there when times were tough and honestly for that person I would do it a million times over. You need to be able to be there in order for someone to be there for you.
Do not judge them. It is easy for us to go along with our preconcieved notions on certain people. This is where you get the "I thought you were a bitch when i first met you" or "well I was told that you do XYZ so I did not want to talk to you". Being able to look past the things people have said or the things people have done makes it easier to be a friend. Someone may have had a bad past and if you are able to listen and understand without judgement, this will help you become a better friend.
Be loyal. This is not a relationship type of loyal. A friendship type loyality is different. Friendship loyality is not hanging out with this one friend only and getting upset when they hang out with other people. Friendship loyality is the ability to understand that if you are being spoken bad about around this friend, they will stand up for you. It is understanding that when you go through something rough, like divorce, you are not being blamed for the things that happened and are being supported even when you are not there. As a good friend, you need to be able to remain loyal to your friend and being able to stand up for them.
Be encouraging. Encouraging someone in a positive way is important in friendship because you want cheerleaders on your team. You want to encourage your friends to apply for that job, or start that new workout, or wear that cute top they say does not look right on them. Being encouraging is being able to support them and cheer them in all endeavors.
Be accepting of them. As an example, I have a friend who is gay. She is one of the sweetest yet wildest people you will ever meet. I accept her as she is being wild, being gay, being free, and being a loving soul. I accept how she dresses and how she is because it is not my place to tell her who she should be. Accept those people for who they are and do not try to change them.
Be supportive. Support your friend in everything they do. This is similar to being encouraging. Encourage your friends and support them in what they do. Tell them you want them to succeed and show them that you want them to.
Communicate. Communication is the core to anything and everything. In friendship, it is important to communicate because it allows you to share you thoughts and feelings. You should be communicating with your friends when they upset you, make you happy, make you feel proud, and so on and so forth.
