Friendships can be complicated. Add in the drama, pressures, constant connection, and hormones that play a part in today’s high school experience, and connecting with other humans can be really overwhelming. In this 3-week series, we’re going to take a look at how to navigate some of the most common experiences in our friendships with other people. Whether it’s being a great friend, finding the right friends, or figuring out how to step away from some friendships, it isn’t always easy. But, we
know this: The work to both find and be a great friend is worth it. The earlier teenagers learn how to build great friendships, the better their future relationships will be. That’s why we’re offering a way for high schoolers to learn how to friend.
Think about this. What’s the last bad decision you made? Or maybe I’ll ask it this way—when’s
the last time you made a decision that got you in trouble? Whatever it was, you thought, How could this happen to me? But here’s the deal: The common denominator in all of those choices was you! We aren’t just innocent bystanders. We are participants. But what’s also true is that many of those decisions weren’t made by ourselves. A lot of times, the reason we did what we did is because there were other influences involved. Ultimately, your friends will have a big influence on your quality of life now and where your life ends up later. Here’s the bad news: friends can pull us down. Here’s the good news: they can also pull us up. Friends are a big deal. So, let’s talk about how to be a friend, and how to maintain the right type of friendships that are better for you in the long run.