Are there really any friends in this modern world? Acquaintances perhaps, selfish interests that keep people together perhaps, dependent on other human beings perhaps, forced to live and work together perhaps, expectations from other people perhaps, taking advantage of people perhaps, seeking help in times of difficulty perhaps, gossip mongers perhaps, social networking perhaps, seeking favours perhaps, professional networking perhaps, lies and betrayal perhaps, ulterior motives perhaps, tapping knowledge perhaps, but real friends....?
Wikipedia's definition: Friendship is a term used to denote co-operative and supportive behavior between two or more people. In this sense, the term connotes a relationship which involves mutual knowledge, esteem, and affection and respect along with a degree of rendering service to friends in times of need or crisis. Friends will welcome each other's company and exhibit loyalty towards each other, often to the point of altruism. Their tastes will usually be similar and may converge, and they will share enjoyable activities. They will also engage in mutually helping behavior, such as exchange of advice and the sharing of hardship.
How does one find true friendship in this often phony, transient, temporary world? Friendship involves recognition or familiarity with another's personality. Friends often share likes and dislikes, interests, pursuits, and passions. Signs include a mutual desire for companionship and perhaps a common bond of some kind. Beyond that, genuine friendship involves a shared sense of caring and concern, a desire to see one another grow and develop, a desire to see the other happy, and a hope for each other to succeed in all aspects of life. True friendship involves action: doing something for someone else while expecting nothing in return; sharing thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or negative criticism. Here are the factors that lead to a true friendship.
Chemistry
Chemistry is when you like someone all of the sudden but you haven't the slightest idea why. When two people have good chemistry, they usually see things in life as one. They really get along well and silence if often as comfortable as words. There is never a need to have people around them as the chemistry that they share they want to keep. Chemistry between two people, is that sixth sense that this person has entered your soul and has breathed their life into your life.
It is a feeling of being elated ... its the light that shines out of certain people and enters your life.
Relationship
True friendship involves a relationship. Those mutual attributes I mentioned above become the foundation in which recognition transpires into relationship. Many people say, "Oh, he's a good friend of mine," yet they never take time to spend time with that "good friend." Friendship takes time: time to get to know each other, time to build shared memories, time to invest in each other's growth.
Trust
Trust is essential to true friendship. We all need someone with whom we can share our lives, thoughts, feelings, and frustrations. We need to be able to share our deepest secrets with someone, without worrying that would leak! Failing to be trustworthy with those intimate secrets can destroy a friendship in a hurry. Faithfulness and loyalty are key to true friendship. Without them, we often feel betrayed, left out, and lonely. In true friendship, there are no backbiting, no negative thoughts, no turning away.
Courage
True friendship requires courage too. For the friendship to survive, it has to survive the gossip mongers, the petty individuals, the trouble makers, those who are envious and jealous and would do all that they can to destroy a friendship. True friendship needs the courage of your convictions, that you do exactly what your heart says and no other individual can make you think otherwise.
Accountability
True friendship requires certain accountability factors. Real friends encourage one another and forgive one another where there has been an offense. Genuine friendship supports during times of struggle. Friends are dependable. In true friendship, an unconditional love develops. We love our friends no matter what and we always want the best for our friends. Never confuse this love with the purely physical one.
"Having millions of friends is not a miracle, but it is a miracle if you have only one friend who stands by you, when millions are against you".
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