How to build friendships:
- Be pro-active. Be willing to take a risk and make a new friend.
- Make daily contact with one or two friends or potential friends. Building friendships takes time.
- Foster your friendships and put them high on your “to do” list.
- Pay attention to which friends leave you feeling uplifted and which friends bring you down. Surround yourself with the friends who leave you feeling better more consistently.
- The more varied your circle of friends, the more value added to your life.
- Listen reflectively and compassionately.
- Articulate clearly and authentically.
- Practice reciprocity, flexibility and compromise.
- Do not personalize another person’s point of view.
- Remember, forgiveness and trust strengthen relationships.
Practice several times daily
