As it is friendship week, I thought to pen down some habits that I learned from my friends and for my friends. They make the friendship word beautiful and meaningful. They are the soul that is as ignorant as we are and as powerful as we are. Sounds complicated? Yeah, friendship is complicated too. We share a bond where we experience all the feelings. Sometimes they become our parents by guiding and encouraging us, sometimes they become our siblings by being protective and frenemy. Sometimes, they behave just like a friend, helping in living life’s precious moments together. They are an important part of building or breaking us. Not everyone is blessed to have a true friend. But, if you don’t have a true friend, you can initiate to be the one. To become a true friend below is mentioned some of the traits.
Listen without Advising: Sometimes, our friends are either “over-dramatic” or “oversensitive.” They repeat the same breakup story several times until we had learned it by heart. But, giving them the required time is the only way to help them. In this fast-paced era, we all are busy with our lives. Working and grinding hard to survive, save and serve. Still, we never know how weak they are at this point. How much they struggled. And at which point they will give up. So, just listen to them. They are precious people. Though if they never helped you, you help them. Make the first move. Believe me, if they are truly your friends, then they will listen to you too.
Encourage a bit more: No doubt we encourage our friends in every aspect of life. But, sometimes, they are confused, irritated, feared, and so on. At that time, we need to support them, but how much? We never know which conversation will give them new hope. Encourage them every time they feel lost. Cheer them for working on their goals. Instil a level of confidence in them. Tell them that you believe in them, and your single kind sentence can create an extraordinary impact on them. Your words are more significant than the phase they are going through.
Help them to get out of their comfort zone: In life, at times, we get caught up in our comfort zones, where we don’t feel like doing other things. We think this is our space, and we don’t want to go beyond this. The same happens with our friends as well. So, we are the right people who can uplift them to come out of their comfort zone. For instance, if your friend is an introvert, help them take up challenges bit by bit. OK, don’t ask to directly jump on the stage to give a speech, but to start talking with unknown people. You know what they fear. Help them in overcoming it. For a short time, they will dislike you, but in future, they will love you for being in their life and helping them to grow.
Participate together: Here, you have to grow your bonding and learning. You can motivate your friend to participate in different social activities happening in the vicinity of the place. And if you both stay at a distance, then you can participate in virtual events as well. This will help in developing both of you. Nurturing your bond and trust. You will understand each other’s shortcomings and can help to overcome that. This is the best way to show your care and their worth. The more you stay connected, the more you know each other.
Remind them of their worth: We fight with our friends, but we know their worth as well. Knowing is not enough. We need to keep reminding. Nudge them their strength. At the time, we forget our strength and worth. That is the time we need someone to guide us and remind us of our qualities. Also, at times we do forget our qualities and achievements. We need someone to take us through our achievements and show us our true power.
Understand them a bit more: We too need our friend’s support. Even so, they fail to show up at the times of our requirement. This doesn’t mean you will stop trusting them or start doubting their friendship. Getting busy and then forgetting notifications is OK. They still care, love, and know our worth. Understand their situation. Give them a chance to explain their side. Sometimes we both are right, yet the situation is fallacious. Giving them another chance will help you in making your friendship grow stronger.
Call them a bit frequently: Frequent calls can be done while being busy. For instance, call them while you are travelling. Connect while waiting in line for a ticket, grocery payment. Apart from that, you can connect with them during your screen break time. I know not always be able to connect cause you both need to be free. But, at least 10 times, you could connect 2-3 times, and it is more than enough to start from where you left. Or you can set a time for weekends to follow up with them. Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow.
Celebrate life with them: The typical friendship establishes between the same age group. And this brings an understanding of life. Celebrate with their life’s every moment. They are the ones with whom you can share your happiness and sorrow. And they are the immature people who let you forget all your troubles. Living life with them is one of the best parts of life. Never miss a chance to celebrate with them. This time will not come back. You can set your boundaries. However, sneak some time from your busy schedule and spend it with them. You have this one life, don’t let it go just like that. Enjoy every bit of it.
“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you; spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.”