5 practical tips on how to make friends and keep them

By Harold Iroasi Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

“No man is an island.”-John Donne.

Everyone will surely agree with me that one can’t really survive with no one. At some point in time, even the rich need some company to enjoy life, for money can’t really offer all the happiness that one could wish for.

A friend is someone you can lean on for support. Perhaps he or she is someone whom you will need to walk another extra mile for friends share each other’s hardships and see that the other reaches his or her goals in due course.

Friends come and go in our lives but genuine ones always remain with us and to some extent influenced us in their own ways.

I’ve come up with 5 tips, the ones which have worked for me, on how you can make friends genuinely and keep them.

1. Have time to know others -No one will get to know you if you have no time for them. Genuinely offer to talk to others and get to know them. Perhaps a good way to start is to remember their names on your first meet and impress them by calling them by name the next time you see each other. Let your new friend know that you’re a good person by showing a welcoming manner cos that’s the only way to attract someone but again be genuine about it.

2. Offer help where you can-Now that you know each other, you’ll start to realize where one needs help because you might have shared with each other one’s interests and all these which might have also surfaced one’s hardships. Or you might have just observed it which is why it is important to look for ways to help without being told.

If it is an academic problem, offer help if you’re in the same program or seek help for him or her if you can’t give it. Perhaps it’ll be a good idea to offer direction on how to go about solving a problem.

When your friend is sick, don’t bother him or her by asking what he or she needs. I’d suggest that you surprise him or her with something that might be of need at that time. It can be fresh fruits from the market, or something you cook if you can. That’s just a way to tell your friend how you care and love to see him or her thru with the pain.

3. Live life at the same level-If you’re wealthier or a bit well off than your friend, get him or her to experience your privileges. You might think about getting him or her the type of short that you’re always comfortable in or something different, like going to a restaurant for a treat he or she has never gotten in life.

Don’t get me wrong! I’m not emphasizing on getting your friend to know how wealthy you are. The idea is to treat your friend on the same level so that you can get along without hazels and make sure that that is the very thing that he or she is getting from you.

4. Be Honest- I’ve just talked about the idea of treating your friend on the same level. But, many would ask, how ‘bout if I don’t have enough money?

To answer that, I’d like to emphasize the importance of honesty. Sometimes, we cover ourselves with other people’s blankets. I’d like to call that as walking in other people’s shoes.

We must realize that people will like us for what we are, not what we pretend to be. If someone like you for pretending to be somebody, you will be more likely to be given up as a friend if he or she finds out later about your motives.

That’s why it is best to always be our self and honest about it. A genuine friend is genuine in motives too.

5. Be forgiving and learn to listen- Friendship is not a smooth ride. You’ll always come across tough times so be prepared to accept them.

When a friend wrongs you, the best thing to do is to forgive him or her. Learn to accept weakness but strive to strengthen them.

If you’re wrong, learn to listen and accept correction.

The bottom line is, there is no trouble free relationship, and it’s best to listen and forgive.

Life is complete with friends. That’s why it’s worth fighting to have more of them and more importantly learn how to keep them.

Want to comment? Click here.