by Dalton Sexton

Created on: March 04, 2008

The art of making friends is a step process. First, you must be a friend to yourself. Love yourself and be satisfied with who you are. This is the first step. If you are at peace with yourself, you will be more confident, and more likely to be yourself.

That is the second step. Be yourself! No one stays friends long with a fake person. Friendship, like love, is wholly based upon trust. Everyone is unique and has something to offer. You are your own worst critic, and your new friends will see what is special about you even if you don't.

The third step is to get out of the house. Join a local church or club. A shared interest is the yellow brick road to friendship. Become a volunteer for a good cause. Go to a park. The more you are away from home, the more people you will meet. A cherished handful of these people will become lifelong friends.

The fourth step is don't try too hard. Don't try to control all of the conversations. A good friend lends an ear as well as offers insight. Praise the good qualities that you see in your friends. Try not to be narcissistic. You don't have to point out your own achievements; they will do it for you.

The fifth step is don't try to buy friendship. You will gain more users that will take advantage of you rather than a true friend. There are many predators out there looking for another sucker. Loneliness can easily make us susceptible to this and once you finally realize the truth of what has happened, you may have experienced devastating emotional damage.

Sixth step, be friendly and be a true friend. Friendship equals love, respect, loyalty, and integrity. If you show these qualities, you will attract these qualities from others. Remember, your spouse must also be your "best friend". With that exception in mind, treat all of your friends equally. You will find that this simple gesture will build real and lasting friendships.

We are a sociable species by nature. We require a group that we belong to in order to feel needed and whole. From the dawn of time man has been part of some type of social structure and if left alone, we would quickly whither and rot away within ourselves. We are not meant to be alone. Go out and explore yourself and enjoy the new and exciting world that your new friends can offer you!

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