How to Be a Good Friend

Recall the worst time of your life. Now try to remember that one person who stood by you in this hour of crisis. It could either be a parent, sibling or close friend. Chances are it was the latter. Your friend was there for you, comforting reassuring and supportive. That's what friends are about: providing constant support, our comforting confidant and our worst critic. They are the family we choose! Friends are people we love to spend time with. They give us company when we are lonely, support us unconditionally and accept us despite our shortcomings. They make celebrations fun, and they help us be ourselves.

but with whom we are no longer in touch with now? They drifted away from our life when their role as guide was over. What friends do for us cannot be described in words. It is important for us to have friends but many of us find it difficult to strike up a friendship.

Give Support Freely

Is there anything worse than continually having to remind a friend to be happy for you? Or support you in your decisions? A great friend rallies behind you without prompting when you need a few words of encouragement, and stands by you when you make a life-changing decision. While friends might not always agree with the things you are doing, they support you all the same. This means that when you need a shoulder to cry on or somebody to celebrate with, they are right by your side.
Know How to Have Fun
Let's face it, sometimes life gets so intense we need a reminder to just sit back and relax. That's where friends come in. Having a great time might mean something slightly different to all of us, of course, but your best pals know exactly how to make you kick back and enjoy yourself with some fun activities.

Be Honest
When you ask your friend for an opinion, they will give it honestly but gently. When it seems like no one in your life will tell you the truth, your friend will have your back. Your pal might not always tell you what you want to hear, but they will be honest with you, and that is valuable in today's world. More than that, their honestly will always be meant to help you rather than cut you down.

Respectful
Your friend doesn't gossip behind your back or play dirty pool when it comes to arguing. When they disagree with you, it's done in a respectful way that is meant for you both to come to an understanding, not to change your mind or to "win." Your level of trust is high with a good friend because they respect you too much to ruin your relationship.

Don't Expect Too Much

If we keep a few things in mind, it shouldn't be difficult to make friends. The first is to start a relationship with the right expectations. Don't expect too much. If you start with high hopes, the relationship is likely to flounder. For anyone to fulfill your expectations, they need to understand what is expected of them. This understanding takes time. Besides, expectations are always two-sided, so having low expectations ensures the same from others. One of the drawbacks of starting a friendship with high expectations is that at every step, you start judging the person and his actions. There is a constant dialogue going on in your mind where you are trying to judge if the person is fitting into your definition of a friend.