The Importance of Friendship

When times are tough and you are feeling blue, sometimes the only thing that helps is talking to a friend. They can lift your spirits and make you appreciate all the wonderful things you have to offer the world. Plus, they can help you to realize what you already have in your life and encourage you to be more grateful for it.

Friends have a unique position because they know who you are as a person and yet they are far enough removed from your personal life to offer an outside perspective on what is going on. They may see patterns of behavior that you never noticed before. Or, they may see that someone else is treating you badly, before you see it clearly for yourself.

It is hard to place a value on true friendship because they can be the support structure you need in order to implement positive changes in your life. In fact, many people who feel negative and lonely simply do not have enough close friends. Oftentimes, they may mistake this loneliness for wanting a romantic partner. But, finding romantic love requires patience and should not be something that is rushed into. So, in the meantime, having platonic friends makes for less drama and more camaraderie than jumping head first into a bad relationship.

Maintaining friendship may seem an ever evolving process. Some friendships may last for a few short weeks or months, while others last a lifetime. However, it can be nearly impossible to tell who will stand the test of time and who is just a temporary friend. While friends may come and go, in and out of your life, their mere presence when you are at the high and low points of your life is simply priceless.

On the other hand, being a good friend is just as important as having true friends. Practice the art of selfless giving, without having an agenda behind your kindness. This is a very fulfilling way to live life. Doing this regularly creates an abundance of love in your life. Share a home cooked meal with your friends, offer them a nonjudgmental ear when they need to express or vent about something and offer to help them with projects like moving or mending a torn dress. This will make you feel like a good person and it will also increase your chances of having a long term and loyal friend who will stand by you when you need assistance.

Of course, being a fantastic friend is no guarantee of getting the same thing in return and this can lead to disappointment and hurt feelings, especially if you constantly overextend yourself for their benefit. For this reason, be sure to put your own needs ahead of your friends’ needs when you are strapped for time or feeling ill, so you will not end up resenting your efforts for them in the long run. But, as long as you are able to and you are feeling up to it, lend your friends a helping hand and it will come back to you tenfold.