Wouldn’t it be great to have best friend who was always at your side, looking out for your best interests? You do have a best friend like this... yourself! ? But sometimes we forget that not only can we be our own best friend, we should be our best friend! ? And we should treat ourselves just as well as we treat others. There are a two ? things you can do to be your own best friend. First, you should develop the qualities you are looking for in others. Second, you should pay attention to that little voice inside of you, your intuition, so you can make good decisions for yourself. Debra Beck, our guest author returns for the 4th and final installment in her Friends series: How to Keep Girlfriends? (when you have a boyfriend), How to Handle Friends' Arguments, Being a Good Friend Online.?
What attributes do you want in someone you are in a relationship with, whether it be a girlfriend or a boyfriend? Some qualities you might want in a best friend are that they be:
•Trustworthy •Compassionate •Loving •Kind •Understanding •Good listener •Loyal •Non-judgmental
Wouldn’t you want your best friends to be all these things to you? These are also the traits you need to develop within yourself to be a good friend to yourself. It is going to be tough to develop friendships with others who have these characteristics if you don’t possess them yourself. You also want to like yourself, and to do that, these qualities need to be present.
Besides acquiring the traits you look for in a best friend, you also have to learn to trust yourself. ? Did you know you already have at your fingertips all the information you need to guide you right now? It’s a little voice inside you letting you know at all times what you need to do that will be in your best interest. It’s your intuition. Try not to be influenced by what others say. Learn to listen and trust your intuition instead. If you are listening to yourself, you will never steer yourself wrong!
Everything you do in life is an opportunity to experience and learn a lesson. Don’t look at your actions like you’ve made a mistake. Try to look at everything as an opportunity to learn and grow as a person. If you keep placing yourself in the same situation and keep making the same decisions that aren’t good for you, then that is unhealthy. You may need look at your behavior and see why your patterns keep repeating. ? The next time you are in a challenging situation, tune in and listen to that inner voice and see what the outcome is. Also, remember that you’re human, and, on occasion, you are going to do things that don’t make you happy. When you do, don’t beat yourself up about it. Acknowledge the behavior as something you want to change, then get busy and work on changing it.
To be your own best friend, you have to obtain the qualities of a good friend, and you have to make good decisions for yourself by listening to your intuition. Wouldn’t it be nice to always have your true, best friend with you all of the time?
Keep Loving Yourself, Debra
Teen and parenting mentor Debra Beck, who has spent over 20 years working with teens and parents, is a devoted mother, sought-after presenter, and author. She has helped thousands of girls develop their self-esteem. She now runs her popular parenting website, EmpoweredTeensandParents.com, encourages girls to be the best “young women” possible, and gives moms and dads the understanding they need to help their girls mature with pride and confidence. Her award-winning book “My Feet Aren’t Ugly: A Girl’s Guide to Loving Herself from the Inside Out”, has been revised and updated for re-release in September 2011 with Beaufort Books.