{"id":1976,"date":"2011-08-04T00:36:16","date_gmt":"2011-08-04T04:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/inspirationreport\/?p=1976"},"modified":"2011-11-28T11:34:41","modified_gmt":"2011-11-28T16:34:41","slug":"how-to-be-a-better-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2011\/08\/how-to-be-a-better-friend.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Be a Better Friend"},"content":{"rendered":"

So we\u2019ve taken a look at the kinds of friends we all have<\/a> or would like to have<\/a>. Now it\u2019s time to look at ourselves. How can you be a better friend? There are so many ways but here are a few\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Don\u2019t be jealous.<\/strong> Or if you are, just admit it and get over it. Jealousy has a way of turning into bitterness which develops into a quiet resentment. It\u2019s a slippery slope that can ruin your relationship if not caught and quarantined.<\/p>\n

Talk.<\/strong> Be a good communicator. It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re making dinner plans or being honest about hurt feelings. Good friends talk to each other and share their hearts.<\/p>\n

Listen.<\/strong> Stop if it feels like you\u2019re talking too much about yourself. Ask them about their day. Rejoice with them when things are going well. When things are rough, be there for them and stay there until the tears have dried. Give space if asked for it. Simply put, listen to your friend.<\/p>\n

Help.<\/strong> Friends help friends. Whether it\u2019s moving or baby-sitting, a good friend will lighten your load and you should do the same (within reason and balance, of course, but we\u2019ll get to boundaries later)<\/p>\n

Here are some great Beliefnet features on friendship<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So we\u2019ve taken a look at the kinds of friends we all have or would like to have. Now it\u2019s time to look at ourselves. How can you be a better friend? There are so many ways but here are a few\u2026 Don\u2019t be jealous. Or if you are, just admit it and get over…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[73,20,6],"tags":[60,61,669],"class_list":["post-1976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-relationships","category-something-to-think-about","category-thought-to-ponder","tag-friends","tag-friendship","tag-relationships"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Be a Better Friend<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2011\/08\/how-to-be-a-better-friend.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Be a Better Friend\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"So we\u2019ve taken a look at the kinds of friends we all have or would like to have. 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