In order to have a good friend, you must first try to be a good friend. An unknown poet wrote, ‘I went out to find a friend, but could not find one there; I went out to be a friend, and friends were everywhere.’
Friendship doesn’t require having a dynamic personality. Even shy, quiet, and reserved individuals can learn to be friendly. It’s next to impossible to have no friends, if you yourself are friendly. And the opposite is also true. Psychologists asked a group of college students to jot down the initials of the people they disliked most. Some of the students could think of only one person, while others listed as many as fourteen. But an interesting fact that came out of the research was that those who disliked the largest number of people, were themselves the most widely disliked. You’ll find that the more likeable you are, the more likely you are to like other people and be liked by them.
So here are five ways to make friends:
1) Maintain eye contact. When you talk to people, look them in the eye.
2) Smile! It takes seventy-two muscles to frown, only fourteen to smile - and a smile warms hearts and encourages conversation.
3) Call people by their names. Strangers are just that, strange, but a friend is known.
4) Talk to others about their favourite topic - themselves.
5) Find an occasion to give a word of encouragement, a compliment, or show an act of kindness. When you find a person with these five traits, you’ve found someone who has a reputation for being friendly.
Luke 19:1-27, Ps 103-104
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