"Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart"
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Many times, we will often make the mistake of classifying anyone that we interact with on a regular and daily basis as a friend. The question that begs to be asked is, what makes this person, be worthy of being called a friend?
These are the traits that determine a true friend. Anything short of these, the person is nothing more than an acquaintance. Developing friendships take time and just like any relationship, requires trust and honesty. It is possible for acquaintances to evolve into close friends with time but that will depend on the interest factor. Is that person genuinely interested in what's going on with you?
The key to developing friends is to be active your community. Get to know people and learn about them. See if they have the same interest in you. Also make it a point to engage in conversation (it could be about real life issues, sports, or even jokes). If you are new in town, make it a point to introduce yourself to community members. Remember though that first-impressions make a big difference.
- Did that person do something extraordinary for you?
- Is that person reliable and someone you can count on?
- Is that person trustworthy and loyal to you?
- Does that person care for you and keeps your interests at heart?
These are the traits that determine a true friend. Anything short of these, the person is nothing more than an acquaintance. Developing friendships take time and just like any relationship, requires trust and honesty. It is possible for acquaintances to evolve into close friends with time but that will depend on the interest factor. Is that person genuinely interested in what's going on with you?
The key to developing friends is to be active your community. Get to know people and learn about them. See if they have the same interest in you. Also make it a point to engage in conversation (it could be about real life issues, sports, or even jokes). If you are new in town, make it a point to introduce yourself to community members. Remember though that first-impressions make a big difference.
One key thing to remember is that it takes two to tango. The key traits or characteristics that you look for in a good friend, you need to offer as well. A friendship is somewhat of a give and take relationship. You need to show care, demonstrate trust and honesty from your end, and display some interest. Otherwise, it will be a one way street which may ultimately doom a friendship.
It's imperative to make it a point that not everyone will like you. Never go out of your way to change who you are as a person to win someone else over. You will lessen yourself in their eyes and they could take advantage of that. You need to make it clear that people need to accept you for who you are. Those that do, are true friends. Those that don't (they can include people you have known as well), they do not deserve to called friends and you should part ways with them.
A friendship that features lots of drama and negativity, needs to be ended as toxic people will only impact you negatively. A sign of a healthy friendship features people who make a positive impact on you and help further your development as a person. Those are the people you want to stay connected with.
During the course of our lifetimes, people will walk in and out of our lives. But the true friends, will make a difference in who we are. Those are the ones worth keeping!
It's imperative to make it a point that not everyone will like you. Never go out of your way to change who you are as a person to win someone else over. You will lessen yourself in their eyes and they could take advantage of that. You need to make it clear that people need to accept you for who you are. Those that do, are true friends. Those that don't (they can include people you have known as well), they do not deserve to called friends and you should part ways with them.
A friendship that features lots of drama and negativity, needs to be ended as toxic people will only impact you negatively. A sign of a healthy friendship features people who make a positive impact on you and help further your development as a person. Those are the people you want to stay connected with.
During the course of our lifetimes, people will walk in and out of our lives. But the true friends, will make a difference in who we are. Those are the ones worth keeping!
