BE A FRIEND
“In
everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into
flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for
those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”
Albert
Schweitzer
Interaction with others is an essential part
of life. Right from childhood to adolescence and to adulthood, we have to
mingle and interrelate with people along the way.
We live with people, talk to and do business
with people. And with some of them, the relationship gets a little deeper for
some reasons like affinity and connection. Thus, we designate them as friends;
and assign for them a space in our heart.
Because of that we want improve our skill on friendly
relations so we can leave a more positive and lasting influence on the lives of
those in closeness to us.
To start, I ask the question…
What’s the best way to have a friend?
The answer from all the sages of history is
concisely written below as…
The best and
easiest way to have a friend is simply to be one; to choose to serve and give
generously of ourselves without the expectation of anything in return.
That’s why
the poet and author of the Prophet, Khalil Gibran said, “Friendship is
always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.”
Now read the following poem by the English writer, Gillian Jones
to learn—not what to expect—but who you need to be; to truly be a friend. It goes as….
“A person who will listen and not condemn
Someone on whom you can depend
They will not flee when bad
times are here
Instead they will be there to
lend an ear
They will think of ways to
make you smile
So you can be happy for a
while
When times are good and happy
there after
They will be there to share
the laughter
Do not forget your friends at
all
For they pick you up when you
fall
Do not expect to just take and
hold
Give friendship back, it is
pure gold.”
I humbly hope
you grasp the full message of the poem and find an area of improvement with a
friend in your life.
DALE CARNEGIE’s
SCHOOL OF CORDIALITY
The Dale Carnegie is
the author of the perennial bestselling book, How to Win Friends and Influence People
which contains fine insights on human relation and winning friends.
I have extracted
six of his ideals for the purpose of this article.
But first think
about the question Carnegie asked and his answer below to get the gist of the
book, if you have not read it…
“Do you know the most
important trait a man {person} can have? It is not executive ability; it is not
a great mentality; it is not kindliness, nor courage, nor a sense of humour,
though each of these is of tremendous importance. In my opinion, it is the
ability to make friends, which, boiled down, and means the ability to see the best in man {another person}.”
To be your best in
camaraderie, you will need to be a master in applying at least one of the
following rules. This can only happen with habitual practice.
6 RULES OF HUMAN RELATIONS
1} The Only Way To
Get The Best Of An Argument Is To Avoid It.
2} Talk In Terms Of The Other Person's
Interests.
3} Make The Other Person Feel Important -
And Do It Sincerely.
4} Be Hearty In Your Approbation And
Lavish In Your Praise.
5} Call Attention To People's Mistakes Wisely.
6} Be Sympathetic With The Other Person's
Ideas And Desires.
Seeing the best in
another is the bedrock of goodwill; and it breeds compassion, tolerance and
amity.
So cultivate
friendly attitude with the tips above and be the change you wish to see in the
world.
In short, live a friendly life; be a friend.
