Having friends can prove to be a very valuable thing.  They can contribute positively to our lives in ways we may not even stop to think of.

They provide a host of benefits to a person’s day-to-day life.

For example, they can be a support system, a means of staying active, and they generally improve a person’s quality of life.   The Importance of Friendship in our Lives [15 Reasons] (impoff.com).  

 It is clear that friendships can be a very good thing, but we should not be selfish in them. Friendship is a two-way street, and we should not only be in them to serve ourselves.

  At this point, you may be wondering how you can best contribute to a friendship. Fortunately, it’s an easy and overall positive experience assuming you actually enjoy the company of the other individual.  Here are 5 ways that you can strengthen a friendship with someone.

Be there for your friend when they need you.

Here are a couple of examples of how you can do this.

• If a friend is sick, check on them (via text, or phone call) to see how they are feeling.
• If a friend asks a favor of you, and it is not too much of an inconvenience, consider obliging.
• If they are going through  a tough time, talk to them and reassure them that you care, and will be there if they need you.

Be Kind

In order to make friends, you generally need to be friendly. It can reasonably be presumed that in order to keep friends let alone grow a stronger friendship, the same logic applies.

There are a lot of ways to be kind to someone. In fact, there are even some things that you may not have considered previously.

Such as,

• Not interrupting them
• Listening to what your friend has to say
• Not being overly critical of them
• Taking an effort to better know the person

Talk to them

In the current year (2022) there is a multitude of ways to communicate with someone, and in a friendship, communication is essential. Without communication, there is no way of growing a friendship.  It is important to note however that too much conversing can be a bad thing. It may make you appear needy. As with most things, moderation is key.

Go do things with your friend

Friends spend time together right? So why not go do something whenever you both are free?

Doing stuff together shows that you enjoy each other’s company.

There are a lot of things that friends can go do together to get to know each other better.

Here are a couple of examples.

• Go somewhere to eat
• Go see a movie
• Hang out together with mutual friends

Be honest with them

One of the most respectable characteristics a person can have is honesty.

Unfortunately, when you are in a friendship, things might not always be ideal.

Sometimes you and your friend may not get along, but being upfront about things is in most cases the best thing to do.

Sometimes you may question if you should be truthful with your friend, https://themayonation.com/should-you-be-honest-if-it-hurts-someones-feelings/,but usually if your friendship is strong enough, it will be able to withstand an inconvenient truth if it comes down to it.

Conclusion

Building a strong friendship with someone may take time, but generally in the end it is worth it.  If you want to grow a friendship, then don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, and give it a try. Strengthening your friendship may end up being a really good decision in the long run.