my new mini-series

So, now that I finished my posts on music, I thought I'd start another series on friendships.
There are many qualities to look for in a friend. I'm going to focus on one today. This really isn't just "how to find a great friend", but "how to BE that amazing friend". I want to talk about showing interest in others. It is one of the most important things in a friendship. The biggest turn-off for me, is talking to someone for 15 minutes and never answering one question. I can't tell you how many times that has happened to me. It's SO discouraging and makes me never want to hang out with that person again! Not that I'm selfish and only want to talk about myself all the time. Think how unloving it is to never show interest in other people's lives.
(Just to put all your hearts at ease, all the people I know who read this blog are AMAZING at showing interest in others! Seriously! :) This is just something to keep in mind though.)
It is unkind and unloving not to show interst in other people. It screams "I don't care about your life, my life is way more important." Maybe they don't mean it that way always, but seriously. Sometimes I wonder.
One way to show interest in people's lives is to learn to be a good listener. I really love listening to people talk. Even if I have no idea what they are talking about, I love seeing them get excited about something that floats their boat. :) Some are better listeners then others, but we ALL need to grow in this area. If you're not a listener, you can't resolve conflicts, be a good friend, or discuss anything for that matter!
I am closer to some friends then others. I'm sure you can say the same thing about the people you know. Some are just better friends. Those who I am closer too are the ones who know the most about me. And how do they know stuff about me? They ask questions. And we are closer because of it. It's really quite simple. And it's NOT HARD!! It's FUN to get to know people! Everyone is different. Everyone has different interests, likes, dislikes, backgrounds, etc. It is an adventure to talk to people if you know how to listen!


ForeverHis,
~becca~