Why do we need friends?
You can choose to go through this world all by yourself. Your motto could be solely looking out for number one1. But figuring other people into the equation of a successful life is also important. You do have to look out for yourself, but we all need people to support us and help us in our lives. That's why we all need friends and folks to hang out with and have a good time.
Get outside your comfort zone and make friends with others!
The environments we live and work in can be overwhelming2 and you might want to shut out everything around you, but there can be a lot of satisfaction and positive3 stimulation4 when you reach out. It may be something as simple as offering to hold a cup of coffee for someone who is struggling to find his bus fare while juggling5 a briefcase and paper bag with a doughnut6.
There are a lot of people tuning out7 the world around them. You can stand out and make an impact by not losing touch. Take some time to be friendly to the new kid in school. No matter where they came from, you can be sure they miss their buddies from their old school or their hometown. You may not become a best friend, but stepping outside the comfort zone to speak to the new kid can make a tremendous8 difference to both of you.
Friendships are give and take. We don't receive if we don't give. Friendships can resemble9 a potluck10 dinner. It is rude to come to the table if you don't bring a dish.
Friendships last when people invest time in one another. The dynamic11 will change from time to time, but a relationship of caring people will endure all kinds of changes. A moment of insensitivity12 or jealousy can put a solid friendship at risk. It takes work to maintain a healthy relationship. Part of that work is building a foundation of trust, caring, and respect. Treat people the way you want to be treated. You'll have friends for a lifetime.
How to keep a friend? Stay in touch!
People move in and out of our lives all the time. Have you ever had the experience of losing a friend just because you're not in his company all the time? How do we prevent “out of sight, out of mind13”?
A lot of times, “out of sight” becomes “out of mind” because we get caught up in our day-to-day activities, responsibilities, and challenges. People don't adopt that attitude on purpose, we just get overwhelmed or we procrastinate14 and the time slips away. Staying in touch is hard—but if we do it, we stand out.
It's no problem being in touch when folks are in your face. And it's no problem to lose touch when they're not. Life happens and there are all kinds of circumstances that separate us. But don't forget to drop your friends a note from time to time, send a postcard to say hello, or even send an article you think would interest them to let them know how much they mean to you.
You can have good intentions to maintain contact when your friend moves away or goes to a different school, but then you get caught up in other things. After a certain amount of time has gone by, it's embarrassing to call or write. Remember, it's never too late to reach out. You can do it with a cute card, a simple gift, an interesting clipping15, even an e-mail or voice-mail message. A letter doesn't have to be a long drawn-out16 thing. A postcard and a short message can make your friend laugh. Remember what you feel like when someone let you know they were thinking of you.
Say“I'm sorry” when you did something wrong
It's hard to say “I'm sorry” when you did something wrong. Human beings try to put on a hard face. Kids try to be hard-core, to act like things don't bother them. But deep down, they hurt like everybody else. “I'm sorry” sound weak; “I'm sorry” is not easy to say, especially when the action has resulted in injury or betrayal. Saying “I'm sorry” can mean breaking down some of the defenses we've put up to protect ourselves. However, it is important to apologize when you do something wrong. It's a really, really hard thing to do but it builds you up in the eyes of other people when you are able to say, “I'm sorry,” or are able to admit that you're wrong. It impressed the other person. It can also give them strength, and be an example of what to do and how to do it. And when you receive the apology, keep in mind that to err is human, to forgive, divine17. Say, “Apology accepted,” and mean it!
How to apologize
1. Go to the person as soon as possible.
2. Don't rehash18 what was said, it will only hurt again.
3. Be honest and sincere.
4. Accept responsibility.
5. Let the person know how much you value them and their friendship.
6. Apologize—say you are sorry.
7. Learn from the incident.
When a Friendship Ends
When friends grow apart, sometimes one person isn't ready for the friendship to end and the other person is. Here's what to do if it happens to you.
When you aren't ready for a friendship to end
Be sad... but then move on. It's absolutely OK to feel sad when a friendship ends. That means that the friendship meant something to you. Focus on other things to get your mind off it. Talk to a parent if you're really upset, and spend time with other friends.
It's easy to be hard on19 yourself when a friendship ends. Be gentle with yourself. You can't make anyone be your friend, so accept that this friendship is over. Use your energy to start a new friendship that might even be better for you!
When you are ready for a friendship to end
Be discreet20. Your other friends don't need to know about the problems you are having in this friendship. If you need to talk to someone about it, talk to a parent or another adult.
Be kind. Ending a friendship will most likely make your friend sad. Try to let the friendship fade naturally. Don't promise to hang out with her on the weekend if you don't plan on following through. If she continues to call often and tries to stay close, be honest with her about why the relationship isn't working anymore. Let her know that even though you used to have fun doing things with her, you think a break is best for now. Be aware of21 her feelings. You may not want to be friends, but you sure don't want to be enemies. Once the friendship has cooled off, be sure to say hello and be friendly to her.
Keep your head up. The end of a friendship is no one's fault, so don't be hard on yourself. This friendship was one part of your life, not your whole life. Remember that you are a girl worth knowing, and that there are friends out there who will appreciate and accept you for who you are.
为什么需要朋友？
你可以选择孤身一人闯荡世界，你的座右铭可以是只为自己。但成功的生活也离不开其他人，这一点很重要。你确实需要靠自己，但生活中，我们都需要别人的支持和帮助。这就是为什么我们需要和亲朋好友在一起消磨时间、快乐生活的原因。
跳出舒适的自我空间去交友吧！
我们生活和工作环境可能已够繁杂，你也许想与周围的一切隔绝。但如果你主动走出去，可能会发现许多令你感到满足和兴奋的事情。这可能是一件简简单单的小事，比如帮某个手里又是公文包又是甜面圈，同时还手忙脚乱找钱买公车票的人拿一下咖啡杯。
许多人都与身边的世界格格不入。但是只要与周围保持联系，你就可以让人注目，对他人产生影响。花点时间和新来的同学友好相处。无论他们来自哪里，可以确定他们会想念远在家乡或以前学校的伙伴。你也许不会成为他最好的朋友，但走出自我的舒适空间和新来的同学交谈对你俩都会有异乎寻常的意义。
友谊就是给予和获得。如果我们不给予，就不会有收获。友谊好比自带菜肴的聚餐，不带东西来就坐在桌前吃喝未免有些失礼。
人们只有相互投入了时间，友谊才会长久。友谊的热度会不时变化，但是有爱心的人们之间的友情经得起各种变故。一时的麻木或嫉妒都可能危及友谊。维持健康的友情是需要花工夫的。其中一部分工夫就是花来建立信任、关心和尊重。待人如待己，你才会拥有相伴一生的朋友。
保持联系 留住友谊
生活中人来人往时有发生。你是否有过这种经历：仅仅因为不常和一个人在一起就失去了一段友谊？我们怎样才能防止“离久情疏”呢？
很多时候，“离久”变成“情疏”是因为我们陷于日复一日的各种事情、责任以及挑战之中。“离久情疏”并不是故意所为，我们只是太忙或者太拖拉，时间就这样溜走了。保持联系的确有点困难，但如果我们做到了，我们就“胜人一筹”啦。
对于身边的亲友，保持联系应该不成问题。而当他们离去，失去联系也在所难免。生活难免发生各种变故，各种各样的因素会把我们分开。但别忘了不时给朋友们写几句话，寄张明信片问候一声，甚至只是发去一篇你认为他们会感兴趣的文章让他们知道他们对你有多重要。
朋友搬了家或是转了学，你打算要和他联系的，但后来却忙于其他了。一段时间过后，你就不好意思给他们打电话或写信了。记住，主动联系永远不会太迟。一张可爱的卡片、一份简单的礼物、一张有趣的剪报，甚至是一封电子邮件或是语音留言都可以。信不必长，一张明信片或是一条短信就可以让你的朋友会心一笑。想想别人记得你的时候你的感受吧。
做错了事就说“对不起”
做了错事说“对不起”是很难的。人们总是摆出一副强硬的面孔，小孩子试图铁石心肠，假装他们什么事都不在乎。但内心深处，他们像所有人一样会受到伤害。“对不起”听起来很软弱，“对不起”也不容易说出口，尤其是自己的行为伤害或辜负了别人时。说“对不起”可能意味着放下自己。然而，做错事道歉是非常重要的。做到这一点确实非常非常困难，但是如果你能说“对不起”或者承认自己错了，你就会在别人眼中树立形象。你会给别人留下深刻印象，也会给他们力量，并成为他们在这方面的榜样。而当别人向你道歉时，要记住：犯错是人之常情，宽恕乃圣人之举。对他们真心地说“我接受道歉”吧！
怎样道歉
1. 尽快去找被你伤害的那个人。
2. 不要重复你曾说过的话，那会造成又一次伤害。
3. 道歉时要真诚。
4. 要勇于承担责任。
5. 让他知道他和他的友谊对你来说是多么重要。
6. 道歉——说"对不起"。
7. 从这件事中吸取教训。
当一段友谊结束时
当两个朋友渐渐疏远时，有时其中的一个做好了准备，而另一个还不能接受。下面告诉你一旦这种情况发生，你该怎么做。
如果你还没有做好准备
伤心吧，但生活还要继续。为友谊的结束而伤心是完全正常的，这说明那份友情对你的重要性。把心思转移到其它事情上去吧。如果非常失落，找父母谈一谈，并花些时间和其他朋友待在一起。
失去一份友情，很容易对自己求全责备。对自己要温和。你不可能强迫任何人都成为你的朋友，所以接受现实吧。集中精力去开始一段新的、或许更适合你的友谊吧！
如果你已做好了准备
请慎重。你的朋友不需要知道你认为这段友谊有什么问题。如果你需要和别人谈一下，找你的父母或是其它成年人。
要友善。结束一份友谊很可能会使朋友难过。尽量让友情自然消失。如果你不打算再交往下去，就不要答应周末和她一起去玩。如果她还是常常给你打电话并想接近你，坦率告诉她为什么你们的关系不再像以前。要让她知道尽管你和她在一起曾经很快乐，但现在分手是最好的选择。你要知道她的感受。你也许不想再和她做朋友，但你们肯定不想成为敌人。一旦友谊冷却下来，见面时还是要和她打招呼，对她友好。
抬起头来。友情的终结不是一个人的错，所以别对自己太苛刻。这段友情曾是你生活的一部分，但不是全部。记住，你是一个值得别人了解的女孩，还有其他朋友因为你的个性而欣赏你、接受你。
1. look out for number one 先为自己着想
2. overwhelming adj. 压倒性的, 无法抵抗的
3. positive adj. 肯定的, 积极的
4. stimulation n. 激励, 鼓舞
5. juggle v. 同时做
6. doughnut n. 油炸饼圈
7. tune out 与…不协调，格格不入
8. tremendous adj. 极大的, 巨大的
9. resemble vt. 象, 类似
10. potluck n. 聚餐, 每个客人都自带食物然后大家分而食之的一顿饭
11. dynamic n. 力度变化
12. insensitivity n. 不敏感
13. out of sight, out of mind. <谚语> 离久情疏
14. procrastinate v. 延迟, 耽搁
15. clipping n. 剪下的东西, 剪报
16. drawn-out adj. 延长的,持续很久的
17. divine adj. 神的, 神圣的, 非凡的
18. rehash v. 改头换面地重复
19. be hard on 使…难堪，对…苛刻
20. discreet adj. 小心的, 慎重的
21. be aware of 知道