Effective Tips For Developing Healthy Friendships
Our friends are a reflection of what we value in life. They can be helpful and supportive relationships or they can drag us down. This is one area we have total control over. We choose our friends and this article will offer some effective advice on choosing and keeping healthy friendships.
Always, be polite. This may sound obvious but it is the best way to attract good friends. Being polite shows the world that you are capable of a certain standard of behavior and noticing others that hold to that same standard can help you immediately recognize if a person is worth befriending. Steer clear of anyone who can't seem to hold to basic manners and etiquette. So, start with civil and polite behavior in all your interactions and watch the quality of your relationships grow.
Pick friends that are different from yourself. Don't just pick from those in your field of endeavor or that carry the same skill set as yourself. Make friends from a diverse pool and you will find that your conversations are never boring, you will learn all sorts of new things and you can mutually benefit from the qualities you do not share. You can help them out with the skills they lack and they will generally be happy to do the same. So, don't look for people exactly like yourself. Enjoy the diversity of personalities and preferences and you will never stop learning new and exciting things about life from your friends.
Don't be jealous or condescending. We often find ourselves sticking to people in our own income bracket. This is a bad move usually originating from feelings of envy at the wealthy or disdain for the lack thereof. Both of those qualities you should avoid like the plague. Limiting yourself like this can stifle your progress and you will lose opportunities that could otherwise help you grow as a person. People from all areas of the financial spectrum have something of value to offer you. Branch out and go to events that will help you meet people from both higher incomes and lower. Be yourself and stick to the politeness rule above, and you should be able to befriend people who can help you learn about life and happiness at any income level. You will mutually benefit from the relationships.
Leave behind those people that create a drag on your life. This is a hard one, but essential to progress in life. We only have a limited time here on earth, so we must not fill that time with people who are harming us. Make clean breaks with these people and do not look back. You will both be better off for it.
So, there you have some effective ways to make sure the relationships you form are good for you and your friends. The goal here is to make friends that you can trade with in the market place of ideas and experiences. Choose wisely, and you will build a support system that is helpful to all parties involved.
