Friendship

Close friendships are truly one of life’s greatest joys. Friends are a source of laughter, support, advice and insight. Friends make our daily journey bearable, enjoyable or more meaningful, depending on where we’re at. However, maintaining close friendships can be challenging, and we can all use a little friendship advice from time to time.

Each friend is their own person who will independently transition and evolve. This means that nearly every friendship will experience growing pains at some point. It’s a process that requires understanding and reciprocal effort. Conflicts between friends can be too emotionally charged to navigate without friendship advice from an objective third party — and that’s where we come in!

Whether you are dealing with work friends, childhood friends, your partner’s friends, or friends you’ve made in your adult life, we are here with the tools to help you navigate the ups and downs of friendship:

• Education: Learn what it means to be a good friend and what defines a healthy friendship, as this sets a precedent for the other relationships in your life.  
• Inspiration: Be conscious of the people you surround yourself with, and whether or not they inspire you to be a better person. It has been said that you are the average of the five people you hang out with most. The takeaway message? Make it a priority to surround yourself with people who you are proud to call your friends.
• Action: Evaluate the friendships in your life. It’s never too late to pursue new friendships, no matter what your age. Keep toxic friendships at a distance and be wary of any friends who are taking from you far more than they give. Life is too short not to make time for the authentic relationships in your life.

Seeking out friendship advice is often the best way to figure out how to make friends that last a lifetime, whether you’re trying to figure out how to confront a friend or the best way to console someone. Make strong, long-lasting friendships a priority and you will never have a shortage of happiness, support and love.