Qualities of a True Friend
Posted December 31, 2010 by Mandy Smith in Well Being
Lately, I’ve felt like things have been really good. I’ve had a few problems here and there but nothing horrible. When I do have a problem, I like to talk to my friends about it and see what they think. This is what I’ve noticed a real friend will do:
Listen! Real friends will listen to the whole story before they open their mouths! They will not judge your first sentence or stop listening when they hear something they don’t like.
Tell Stories! They will give you a story of something similar that happened to them. It won’t be the exact thing that you are going through, but they are trying to comfort you by saying I went through “A” so you can get through “1.”
Give consequences/benefits! They will give you the facts of what will happen if you do what you are thinking about doing, whether it is the consequences or the benefits. They will most likely give you the consequences because you probably already know the benefits of your choice.
Offer other options! They will list other options for you. They are showing you there is more to life than what you know. They will have resources or help you find resources that you didn’t know about.
Allow you to make your choice! They will let you make your decision. True friends will not make a decision for you or even “help” you make your decision. They will give you their thoughts when you asked for them then they’ll sit back and watch.
Not say “I told you so”! Once you’ve made your decision a true friends will never come back and say “I told you so” or “You should have done what I said.” True friends will pick you up, dust you off and give you advice if you ask for it. They will be your friend no matter how many decisions you make that they wouldn’t have made.
This true friend I speak of does exist! I am lucky enough to have a couple! Keep this in mind when you are looking for real friends in your life. And also keep it in mind for the type of friend you want to be!
