Friendship Part Two: But how?

Tips for Establishing Meaningful Relationships:

• All new things can be uncomfortable in the beginning. Familiarly comes with time.  The more you go, the more times you try, the more comfortable you will get.  When I first attended a Bible study at my church I didn’t know anyone. The ladies were close and I felt like an outsider. I forced myself to push through these feelings and keep going to the study.  Now some of those women are my dearest friends! I would have missed this opportunity if I had stopped quit due to my uncomfortable feelings.

• The more you give of yourself the more you will receive.  In order to have authentic and meaningful friendships you have to be willing to be a little vulnerable. (This doesn’t mean you must share your darkest secrets during a first conversation!)  Over time be willing to open up and share your fears, dreams, hopes, joys and struggles. The more vulnerable you are, the more your friends will be willing to share themselves with you.

• Believe that you deserve time with friends.  If you are a mom, develop a support system that will free you up to have time for friendships.  Some of us have husbands that have a hard time supporting us in taking time for ourselves. It is helpful to evaluate, how supportive are you when he wants time with his friends or to do his hobbies? Try to work out equal time for you each to have a break.

• Set out specific time and energy to have friends in your life.  It is important to trust how vital these connections are. If you believe in the value of friendships, you will be more apt to make room in your life for friends.Form or join interest groups such as garden clubs or book clubs. Joining a faith community is a great way to form friendships.  It is important to remember in this day of social media, email, texting, Skype, etc. that although they are helpful in staying connected, they can not take the place of real life face to face encounters.

I challenge you to take a step today towards making a friend or connecting with a friend.

What is one thing you can do right now to take a step towards friendship?