How to make new friends and keep them

Please click on image to view a larger versionDo you find it hard to make new friends? Do you want to have close friends but find no way to make that a reality?While it is easy to make friends in childhood, more and more people find that once they leave high school and college, new friends become a rarity.
There are a lot of colleagues and co-workers and great people you gel well with. But somehow, nothing translates itself into friendship that stays alive.
While some are lucky enough to have their childhood friends last a lifetime, a vast majority of us find our stream of friendships thinning away. The old friends wander away and the new ones are difficult to find and make.
Here are some advice on how to make new friends and keep themFind new people to meetYou obviously won’t find people knocking at your door and asking you to be friends with them. To make new friends, you have to meet and interact with new people. And not only that, you need to focus on meeting people in places where you know you have a common interest: social clubs and sporting events are just some opportunities to meet others who share your passion for a particular subject. The internet also provides opportunities to meet people.
Â
Make the first moveIf you want to get to know someone better, it might make sense to ask him or her to share a coffee or lunch. This gives you a chance to chat. Another option is to host a small event, whether it's a birthday party, a get together dinner, or having a few people over to watch a game.Â
Send great vibesA great mindset to have when you meet new people is that they are already your friends. This not only makes you feel comfortable and friendly towards others, but people will often reciprocate in kind. People instantly like people who seem friendly and who like them. It’s natural to return whatever it is that you are getting. So send vibes of friendship and get the same back.
Stay in touch and be there for friendsTo stay in touch means to call up or email to let the other person know that you're thinking of him or her, and that you are interested in what's happening in their life. People remember people who stand by them in their joys and sorrows. It's important to be there for friends in their times of celebration and times when they need someone. No matter how busy you are or how inconvenient it is, be there for your folks. There is nothing that cements a bond of friendship as strong as being there for the other person on important days/times of their life.