Process Essay 1

              How to Build and Maintain a Stable Friendship

 

    Have you ever wondered why all of your friends are so far away and so hard to reach out to when you were alone at night? When it comes to friendships and relationships, we all know that it’s complicated and different from case to case. However, practice couldn’t make perfect, but practice do make progress. And hence, listening to advices, adjusting, and trying your best in a proper way will be important. Here are my three tips to build and maintain a stable friendship.

 

    To begin with, firmly-bonded friendships require staying in touch and spending meaningful time together. The reason why it’s essential is that it’s a move that you can show them that you care. Therefore, checking in with your friends whenever you can: phone calls or messages on a regular basis, and if possible, scheduling some time to hang out will be great. In my opinion, you must make your efforts if you want a stable friendship.

 

    Secondly, being honest, altering your expectations, and don’t make assumptions about your friends will be highly crucial in your friendships. As the old saying goes, honesty is the best policy. We don’t always agree with each other sometimes, but it’s important to stay honest and be yourself in the friendships; only when you and your friends are truly feeling comfortable in the friendship is it the way to keep this friendship going on. We all sometimes fall into a vicious circle of friendship: casting too much expectations on others, feeling disappointed and making assumptions on them in the after. However, if we could start to be honest with each other and try to trust themselves instead, we won’t have to be disappointed by our friends and thus make wrong assumptions about them.

 

    Last but not least, giving time to each other and choosing compassion over criticism will be the hardest but also the most vital actions we need to learn in a mature friendship. For me, I was used to have excessive concern for ones I care, always ask too much about their grief and sadness. However, after making friends for years, I’ve learned that it’s important to leave the space between each other, for too much care is unbearable and stressful for them at that time. Moreover, we all like to feel accepted and embraced after making uncertain decisions; hence, showing compassion will always be the first move we make before giving any suggestions. In addition, criticism at this time will only jeopardize your friendships with important ones, so try to avoid this! The balance between leaving spaces and showing compassion for your friends is always worth learning and adjusting.

 

    Those are my three tips to maintain a stable friendship, trying to evaluate the problems in your friendships and adjusting yourself, this might make your friendships go longer than you expected!

 

 

Cited Sources (References; by alphabetical order)

Paul Sanders, How To Keep And Maintain Friendships

 Retrieved from: https://getthefriendsyouwant.com/how-to-keep-and-maintain-friendships/