It takes time and effort to build a friendship. They are built slowly, slowly, slowly...
Yet, nothing can add more to your life than having truly intimate friends. "Just friends" is a goal worth pursuing!

Friendships can take up to three years to build! And building friendships is much the same for children as adults, but a bit quicker!

Self-Disclosure builds friendships

Self-disclosure is usually the first step in establishing a confidant. And it is scary because of the potential rejection factor. Do it anyway!

Start by sharing a few private thoughts and/or feelings with one person you might want for a close friend. If the person is responsive, he/she will usually share a personal thought or two with you.

If he/she is not responsive to your overtures, don't think of this as a rejection.People may be non-responsive for reasons of their own or merely as a perception of yours. Nevertheless, they can't be rejecting you because they don't even know you yet.

Listening and acknowledging builds friendships

Often when your child, lover/partner, or friend tells you a story or voices a complaint, he/she is just asking for acknowledgment.

This does not mean that he/she wants agreement or compliance;  it merely indicates a desire to be heard and understood.

Try these three steps to acknowledgment:

1. Repeat  back.
2. Don't invalidate.
3. Don't try to change.
4. Don't problem solve.

Many  conflicts in your personal relationships can be avoided  if you will take the time to acknowledge other's feelings and points of view. For more information about acknowledgement, click here.

Listening and attending builds friendships

Paying attention to someone is called "attending." It means that your ears, your eyes, your body and your feelings are all focused on that person at one time. Attending is a very important part of any relationship. It includes:

1. Being there physically
2. Focusing
3. Eye contact

Looking at and focusing on another person shows that you are "there for him/her." For more information on attending, click here.

Talking Is a Primary Building Block of Friendships

Talking is an integral component of friendship.

When a friend talks and reveals ideas or feelings, he/she is expecting shared information in return. When the talk is not equal, the person talking feels as if the listener is uninterested.

In fact, the person who is always the listener is really playing the role of a counselor, not a friend. Anytime you have been talking for more than a minute or two without participation from the person you are talking to, you are lecturing, bossing, or putting that person in the role of a counselor.

Loyalty, Equality, and Respect build friendship

Friends are equal. Without equality, you can't have a close friendship.

Friends are loyal and trustworthy. No one can confide in someone they can not trust to be loyal and to keep his/her secrets.

Friends have similar values. Our value system is so important to us that our friends' values must be close to our own or we will not have respect for this friend.

Remember

Allow Time for Friendships to Grow!