Friendship is a strange thing and finding a true friend is not always easy to do. This is even more true in the modern world with social media the way it is the obsession which many people have on getting followers and people to like their content. The fact of the matter is that social media is very much like when you are at school you have hundreds of ‘friends’ but only a couple of true friends. My buddy Menos Hiras and I go back a long time to when we were kids and I felt truly blessed to have a great friend like him, who knows me inside out. True friends may be hard to find, but here is why they are worth finding.
Dark Times
There are times our lives when life is hard, things happen to us and the darkness comes, be it a death, a loss, or an event which changes us for the worse. It is at these moments where true friends find their way to you, they help you power through and they help you to come out of the other side and find the light again. As with everything in friendship this works both ways, and you will do the same for them when they go through dark periods.
Improve You
One aspect which you should look for in a friend is someone who makes you a better version of yourself, and who pushes you to reach the potential that they know you are capable of. To give an example here, there was a job position in my firm which came up around 2 years ago, I spoke to Menos about it and said that whilst I’d love to have the job, I just wasn’t ready. He was furious, he told me exactly why I deserved the job and why I’d be so good at it, and based on his reaction I applied, next week I’ll have completed my first 2 years in that job, a position I’d never have gone for without my friend’s belief.
Acceptance
Not being accepted for who you are is not a nice feeling and it can have lasting damage on your character and your mental health. We all have certain nuances, quirks and foibles which make us who we are and if we feel as though those aren’t accepted by the people around us it can force us to change into someone who we are not. Having a close friend who knows you inside out is part of that acceptance and even if they are the only person in the world who accepts you for who you really are, it can help you to have a better outlook on life and have more confidence in general.
Acquaintances are fine but they will never replace the value that you can get from having a true friend who loves and cares for you, and who wants the best for you.
