the right way

friends journey

Friendships don’t just happen.
Although one person may start a
friendship, both partners will need to
contribute to the building process.
You can initiate a friendship by
moving toward a prospective friend and
starting a conversation. You will
probably have very few friends if you
wait for them to come to you.

Remember that initial relationships
with others are generally a little
awkward. Allow yourself some time to
feel comfortable with the beginning of
a friendship–the initial awkwardness
is natural and will lessen as you get
to know each other.

Following are some tips to help you
get started making new friends.

***Involvement

Be where other people are. You can’t
make friends if you aren’t in the
situations where there are people.
Involvement entails both COMMUNICATION
and LISTENING. Share feelings, ideas,
opinions and activities, and listen –
listening to both the speaker’s words
and feelings conveys your interest.

***Send Friendly, Non-Shy Signals to
Others

It helps both you and them loosen up.
Try these suggestions from Dr. Arthur
Wasamar, author of Making Contact, a
system he calls SOFTEN. Soften breaks
down this way.

~Smile

It shows you’re friendly and would
enjoy the other person’s company.

~Open Your Posture

Uncross your arms and legs; you’ll
look more relaxed.

~Forward

Lean toward the person, or move closer
to show you’re attentive to what he or
she is saying.

~Touch

A hand on another person’s arm may be
a welcome gesture (make sure the other
person is open to this, that you don’t
touch too much, and you stop if the
person says no.)

~Eye Contact

This shows that you don’t want to miss
what’s being said.

~Nod

A nod communicates that you understand
what’s being said and you’re
interested in keeping the conversation
going.