Friends are people who you become close with and build a great connection with. Friends are supposed to be the people that you love to be around, confide in, depend on, laugh with, cry with and more. Friends hold a lot of weight in your life, believe it or not. They hold so much power because having these relationships with people helps you grow as a person.
I have a few friends that have taught me so much. I want to make sure that you can be a great friend towards your friends, so here are some tips on how to be a great friend:
1. Be understanding
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You may not fully understand someone's situations or conflicts, but it counts more when you try to put yourself in their shoes so that you can try and understand what's going on. Being empathetic in a friendship is important because sometimes your friend doesn't need a critic, they need a friend. Listen and try to understand how they are feeling and what they are enduring.
2. Be present.
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You cannot be in a friendship nor have some type of relationship with someone if you are not present. I've been in friendships where my friend was not present and there for me. It sucks! Don't be that friend who cannot be present for their friend. Being present consists of physically, mentally and emotionally being there. Try to make sure that you are being the friend that your friend needs you to be.
3. Be honest.
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Honesty goes a long way. Being honest with your friend is important because telling them when they're wrong about something is the right thing to do. They may be upset, confused or do not want your opinion, but in the long run when you are honest with them, things will work better in their favor.
Being honest means to being able to trust in your friend for the blunt and truthful perspectives and opinions. Somethings I dislike to hear from my friends, but I would rather my friends be honest with me before someone else does.
4. Love your friend for who they are
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There may be things that you dislike about your friends or certain things tick you off about how they act, but at the end of the day, that's your friend. You have to learn how to love someone unconditionally. Take that person for who they are. If you can sit around and pick out all their flaws, then what type of friend or person does that make you? No one is picking out all of your flaws, so don't do that to your friend.
They are who they are and if you all are in a healthy friendship you can help them to be a better person. I am the blunt friend out of the pack, but I have learned how to tone that down and be more sympathetic towards my friends when I am presenting something that causes a more blunt delivery.
Friends are family. Well, at least mine are and that's what you should want. I trust my friends and I know that they will have my back. If you cannot say the same, please keep these tips in mind of how to be a great friend to your friends so that you can pass this article along to a friend who could use help being a better friend.
