| The first step in the art of friendship
is to be a friend, then making friends takes care of
itself. To be a friend we should start by being
friends to ourselves, by being true to our highest and
best and by aligning ourselves with the enduring values
of human life that make for growth and progress.
To be a friend we should strive to be "like the
shadow of a great rock in a weary land," to be a
source of refuge and strength to those who walk in
darkness.
To be a friend we should believe in the inherent
goodness of people and in their potential greatness; we
should treat people in a big spirit, expectant of a
noble response.
To be a friend we should strive to lift people up,
not cast them down; to encourage, not discourage; to set
an example that will be an inspiration to others.
To be a friend we should be sensitively responsive to
the dreams and aims of others and should show sincere
appreciation for the contributions others make to the
enrichment of our lives.
To be a friend we should practice the companionship
of silence and the magic of words that our speech may
build and not destroy, help and not hinder.
To be a friend we should close our eyes to the faults
of others and open them to our own.
To be a friend we should not attempt to reform or
reprimand, but should strive only to make others happy
if we can.
To be a friend we should be ourselves; we should be
done with hypocrisy, artificiality and pretense, we
should meet and mingle with people in quiet simplicity
and humility.
To be a friend we should be tolerant, we should have
an understanding heart and a forgiving nature, knowing
that all people stumble now and then, and that those who
never made a mistake never accomplished anything.
To be a friend we should join hands with all people
who are working for great principles, great purposes and
great causes; we should put our shoulders to the wheel
to help achieve common goals.
To be a friend we should go more than halfway with
our fellow people; we should greet others first and not
wait to be greeted; we should radiate a spirit of
overflowing good will.
To be a friend we should remember that we are human
magnets; that like attracts like, and that what we give
we get.
To be a friend we should recognize that no person
knows all the answers, and that we should add each day
to our knowledge of how to live the friendly way.
Wilferd
Arlan Peterson |
