Friendship, like any other relationship, is a two-way street. You pick these people to be a part of your lives and they can either make you feel like you are on top of the world or in some toxic cases they make you feel like you are an ugly worthless sewer rat. You got to find the people that make you feel like you are worthwhile and will never let you go to bed feeling sad or unwanted. To find those friends you may have to go through some tough times but let me tell you once you find your people you’ll know that everything is worthwhile. With that being said here are some guidelines to follow for being a fantastic friend.
1. Loyalty
This one's a biggie because it will make or break a friendship. If any of you are like me, which I hope you are, I am fiercely protective of my friends. When someone wrongs one of my friends you better believe that they will be hearing from me. I don’t care what they did; if they are in the wrong or not, if they hurt the person that I care about, they will be getting an earful from me. So if you are not ready to defend me when someone disrespects me, you are not considered my friend. Probably more of an enemy to be honest. So when I hear that you have been talking behind my back or letting someone else talk badly about me, it’s over. It’s all about the one who will defend you when you are not there to defend yourself.
2. Be There for Them No Matter What
This topic goes along with loyalty in that loyalty basically means to always support someone. When a friend is upset or as happy as can be, you need to be by their side. You will be the greatest friend if you do this. Not only will you help them through the tough times, you will be their cheerleader for all of their accomplishments. There is no better feeling in the world than seeing someone overcome their obstacles. I think that, that is one of the best things about friendship. They slowly become one of the biggest parts of your life.
3. Get Over Yourself
Nothing disgusts me more than a person who is only in a relationship for themselves. No reciprocity is given and they just suck the life out of the other person, like a parasite. Yeah, I’ve felt like an accessory to some of my “friends”, like I was just there so they didn’t have to be alone. Stop being petty and rude. Your friend probably has other friends. You gotta be supportive of every relationship they have even if you don’t agree with it. So like that pic on Insta, comment and tell them how much they slay in that shirt, instead of ignoring it or making some petty comment on it because you are jelly of the person they are with.
4. Never Force Them to do Anything
No means no. That’s the bottom line. You have to understand that when you force your friend to do something they don’t want to do, you are slowly chipping away at them. It doesn’t matter if it’s something like going to lunch or forcing them to go on a double date with you. I feel so much guilt if I ever say no to someone. But if your friends are really your friends they will respect your decision.
5. Get off Your Phone and Listen
It’s pretty annoying when you’re trying to talk to someone and they give their phone more attention than you. I don’t care if I am just rambling on about something that doesn’t matter or having an emotional breakdown, I expect you to listen. It is so disrespectful and just plain rude. What pisses me off the most is when someone is attached to their phone but will take forever to text back or give short responses.
I know from time to time I am guilty of some of the items on this list, but I think being aware of your wrongdoings makes you a better person. Own up to your mistakes. I will forever be working on friendships with people whether it be helping them grow or trying to mend them. I am happy with the people I have in my life right now, I am happy with the decisions I’ve made to cut certain people out of my life, and I’m happy with the people I decided to distance myself from. I hope that you found my major keys (DJ Khaled) of friendship helpful and I hope you know your worth and won’t let any of your friends break any of these rules.
