As a short little introduction, I would like to take this moment to thank you for reading my blog. I wanted to write about something I was really passionate about that could also help me . I would now like to introduce (drumroll, please) my "Life Advice" series, which will focus on different aspects of life to help benefit my reader, in anyway possible. The first stop in this writing journey focuses how to build friendships with people around you.
The Purpose of It All
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Ah, the sweet smell of friendship is almost better than the smell of freshly baked cookies. I've always wanted the Chandler, Rachel, Ross, Monica, Joey, and Phoebe friendship. I think it's kind of funny, because Friends is not all based on coincidence (or is it?). People in the modern world actually have trouble making friends, especially with the introduction of the cell phone and other technological advances. I switched from a school that I had been going to since Kindergarten-9th grade this year. I hadn't made new friends in roughly 10 years. The first thing I thought when I decided I was switching schools was, "Shoot, how am I going to make new friends?" I wished there was a blog for me to read on how to adapt and assimilate into a new environment. Now, this is why I'm writing this post.
Step 1: Try to Tour the School
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Do you see the picture above of a girl sitting alone and eating her lunch? I had constant dreams about that girl being me. I knew that I needed to switch schools because it would be better for me, but how could I just enter a place where I knew not a single soul? I thankfully arranged for a shadow, and when I arrived on campus, I met all the people who I was going to spend the rest of high school with. Of course, I was nervous because I was about to enter a tight-knit group of kids who had been going to school together for years. I knew that when I shadowed, I would stick out like a sore thumb. Thankfully, my personality drew in the type of people I wanted to be friends with. Even knowing a limited amount of people at the school prepared me for my first day.
Step 2: Show Everyone Who You Really Are
There is no point in pretending to be someone else. In almost every movie about a new girl who moves to a new school (Mean Girls anyone?), someone who tries to be someone they aren't never succeeds. It never works, so don't be a poser. The right people always attract themselves to the kind of people they want to be around. Don't stress. For me, personally, I didn't follow my own advice, and I stressed so much that I was sweating bullets on the first day of school. I tried really hard to pretend to have a lot of things in common with the new people I was meeting, but that didn't work out. I ended up barely talking to these people. I wished my old friends came with me and that there was someone who could understand me. Eventually, even though it was about a week later, I let go of my nerves and finally started acting like my normal self. What was the point of going to high school and sharing all the memories alone? Typically, at my old school at least, I was known for my sense of humor. I cracked a couple of jokes here and there, and soon enough, people started to approach me and invite me into their social lives. As soon as I showed a ray of my personality, people became more attracted to me as a person.
Step 3: Keep Positive Vibes Flowing
The last thing someone wants to do, whether they're meeting a new person at school, a job interview, or the beach, is talk poorly of someone that they don't know. We all know we should never say negative things about people in general, but guess what? That goes against human nature. People don't want to be around other negative people. We are all just trying to find out way to achieve total happiness. Also, be open to trying new things. If you aren't usually nice to people at school, give it a shot and be nice to people. Take chances and us them as opportunities to strengthen a friendship
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