How to Help Your Friends
As I have stated before friends are extremely important to all of you.
A true friendship is hard to find and when you find it, grab it and hold on to it.
Your friends may be the road to you being truly happy and living a long life.
Think of them as your after dinner drink that follows your great meal.
They are not your family but the part of your life that really makes it all work.
Remember guys, your friends may add to your pleasure in living and they may give you a place to be validated (where else can you go).
Should one of your friends come to you for some help or advice, what you do at this moment can either build a stronger relationship or it may even destroy what was good relationship.
How you handle such a situation may determine if the relationship is to last.
Should your friend enlist your help, I suggest you take a good hard look at the depth of the problem.
And once you determine the depth then I suggest your response should be appropriate to the depth of their problem.
Do not overreact or over advise.
Be careful but helpful.
Now you can not fully solve all of their problems.
Should it be a deep personal matter, be careful how you respond.
These deep personal situations must be handled with care as they can turn around in bite you in your back.
Especially when it is a problem in their family, you need to be careful.
You may find yourself between a rock and a hard place.
You need to remind yourself that you are not a member of their family, you are a friend.
Be an active listener, support her but be very careful with your advice, it is her feelings (not yours) that are hurt.
Remember her family will always be her family; you may not always be her friend.
Casual friends come and go but true friends know their place and are also there for the long haul.
So you think your friend is just not trying hard enough? I am guilty of that at times.
If she would just do this or just do that her life would be better.
Who made you queen of the parade! Unless she specifically requests some advice on a goal or project, do not give it.
If it is not requested hold your thoughts.
And for goodness sake when you are having a drink together stop being the authority on everything, you are not perfect either! That does not mean you should not listen and be supportive relative to her life problems but do not sabotage your friendship over a couple of drinks.
This happens all of the time, she will not forget! Remember help comes in many forms but I would argue that the best form of help comes from active listening.
Quite often you and your friends will bond in some deep meaningful way.
Should it be your turn to help your friend, think before you react, you just may be glad you did? Your good true friends will make your life a whole lot of fun and make the bad times bearable.
And as always you must live well to be well
A true friendship is hard to find and when you find it, grab it and hold on to it.
Your friends may be the road to you being truly happy and living a long life.
Think of them as your after dinner drink that follows your great meal.
They are not your family but the part of your life that really makes it all work.
Remember guys, your friends may add to your pleasure in living and they may give you a place to be validated (where else can you go).
Should one of your friends come to you for some help or advice, what you do at this moment can either build a stronger relationship or it may even destroy what was good relationship.
How you handle such a situation may determine if the relationship is to last.
Should your friend enlist your help, I suggest you take a good hard look at the depth of the problem.
And once you determine the depth then I suggest your response should be appropriate to the depth of their problem.
Do not overreact or over advise.
Be careful but helpful.
Now you can not fully solve all of their problems.
Should it be a deep personal matter, be careful how you respond.
These deep personal situations must be handled with care as they can turn around in bite you in your back.
Especially when it is a problem in their family, you need to be careful.
You may find yourself between a rock and a hard place.
You need to remind yourself that you are not a member of their family, you are a friend.
Be an active listener, support her but be very careful with your advice, it is her feelings (not yours) that are hurt.
Remember her family will always be her family; you may not always be her friend.
Casual friends come and go but true friends know their place and are also there for the long haul.
So you think your friend is just not trying hard enough? I am guilty of that at times.
If she would just do this or just do that her life would be better.
Who made you queen of the parade! Unless she specifically requests some advice on a goal or project, do not give it.
If it is not requested hold your thoughts.
And for goodness sake when you are having a drink together stop being the authority on everything, you are not perfect either! That does not mean you should not listen and be supportive relative to her life problems but do not sabotage your friendship over a couple of drinks.
This happens all of the time, she will not forget! Remember help comes in many forms but I would argue that the best form of help comes from active listening.
Quite often you and your friends will bond in some deep meaningful way.
Should it be your turn to help your friend, think before you react, you just may be glad you did? Your good true friends will make your life a whole lot of fun and make the bad times bearable.
And as always you must live well to be well
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