How to Choose a True Friend

Despite this high-tech world we live in, a true friend is still a gift in your life. You're meeting new people all the time but most of them won't turn into good friends. It's important to reflect on what true friendship means to you and form a definition in your mind so you know if someone you meet might become a close friend.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Take the time to think about what a true friend means to you. It's not as obvious as you may think. You may need someone who's artistic and creative while someone else needs a person who loves to be active.
2. Pay attention to your comfort level when you're with a person. A true friend makes you feel at ease. Someone who bombards you with negative comments, criticizes rather than encourages and pushes you to do things you don't want to do will never be a true friend.
3. Identify your differences of opinion. Arguments make a healthy friendship because they force you to think differently about things. But we all have our threshold. If someone has nasty things to say about your in-laws just because of their ethnic background, you're better off looking for friendship somewhere else.
4. Notice if the person shows concern for your well-being. That means they don't give you a dissertation on their life before you get a chance to say anything else. When you start talking about your problems, see if you have their full attention. True friends don't let their eyes wander or glaze over when it's not their turn to gripe!
5. Be honest about whether someone can ever be a good friend. A true friend is someone who can accompany you on the journey to personal growth. Someone who just agrees with everything you say or makes you feel inadequate isn't going to help you reach your potential.

Tips & Warnings

• Explore the definition of friendship by drawing a circle and writing "True Friend." Draw lines connecting to circles where you write down qualities you need in a friend.
• Write a letter to an imaginary person telling them what friendship means to you.
• Play out in your mind what a good friend would say and do. Explore new activities you'd like to do or new experiences you'd like to have.