Friendship - Source of Greatest Pleasures

As we move through life, we have to except, understand and learn that there are many things out of our control. We can’t choose so many things that happen in the world around us - things out of our control. One thing that we can control is who our friends are, and this decision can either make our lives so much richer and beautiful, or more stressful and disappointing. Today I’ll focus on friendship.

Friendship makes life more enjoyable and enriches one's everyday experiences.

Everyone is wired differently and brings their own personality and history to a friendship.
Some friendships develop quickly and some take time. In order to recognize and feel a real friendship, qualities like 

Accepting the other - Acceptance is the ability to see that others have a right to be their own unique persons. That means having a right to their own feelings, thoughts and opinions. When you accept people for who they are, you let go of your desire to change them. 

Unwavering support - We all go through difficult and challenging times in our lives and no one is immune to such bad times, but true friendship shows its value by how your friends react in such situations and times. True friends stay with you in difficult situations such as trauma, setbacks, illness and grief. Unlike fair-weather friends who are only around when you're feeling good, a true friend is always there for you and back you up and give you moral support no matter what come. 

Honesty and trust - Friendship's common ground is honesty and trust. Real friendships are based on honest communication and mutual trust. Good friends not only listen attentively without judgment, but also believe in open, positive communication when their advice is needed. They also offer their unbiased perspective to look at a situation from a different angle, and do so with kindness and objectivity. Real friendship means that we are authentic and trust each other - even if it makes us vulnerable. When your friend shares personal feelings or thoughts with you, it means that person values ​​you and trusts your integrity. In order to be a real friend, you must also be able to trust your friend because that shows that you too have trust in the friendship.

And best of all ...

Real friendship makes you happy

Real friends always make us feel special and valued. True friends not only support each other in difficult times, but also help each other see the bright side when life gives you a lemon. As the well known quote “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” means to change the worst situation into best - a good friend will help you to make lemonade 🍋😎 With your positive attitude and your optimism and your lightness you can help each other to deal with the adversities of life more easily. 

A few closing thoughts

If you are self-aware and take regular time for honest introspection, you can examine your own behavior and actions and decide if you need to increase your "friendship quotient" in order to cultivate genuine friendships and become the best possible friend or the best possible yourself to be girlfriend.

I mentioned at the beginning and as the most important aspects / qualities of friendship 'Acceptance'. And I think it is important to stress that acceptance is NOT agreement. You can accept someone – just as they are – without being in agreement. Acceptance does not mean you like or enjoy something. You can accept a circumstance or situation without liking it, feeling good about it, enjoying it, or wanting it.

Friendships are a crucial part of living a fulfilling life. It’s so important that we surround ourselves with people who we have fun with, who support us, and people who make us better.
And keep in mind -  it’s never too late to cultivate new relationships that will make your life even more magnificent.