Friend

If you have a soul sister, consider yourself lucky! Indeed, not everyone gets to experience such a special friendship in this lifetime. Soul sisters may not have grown up in the same family. However, they connect on such a deep level that it seems like they’ve known each other forever. You’ll find that no friendship compares to the one you have with your soul sister. She will just “get” you, without you having to translate your soul.

In other words, you will speak the same language and feel that your hearts come from the same place. If you can find a best friend and soul sister in the same person, you’ll never have to feel misunderstood or alone in this life anymore. This world can seem like an overwhelming, scary place at times. But having someone who will support you always, no matter what, makes the journey so much easier to bear.

So, if you have someone like this friend in your life, you’ll probably notice the following characteristics of your friendship.

10 Signs Your Best Friend is A Soul Sister

“Soul Sister – a female friend not related by blood who shares a bond that transcends time, distance, and space.”

1 – You feel like you’ve known them for lifetimes.

At the very beginning of your friendship, you’ll feel an overwhelming familiarity. It might feel you have met them somewhere before. You can’t quite explain it, but they just feel like a very old friend who you haven’t seen in a while. When you cross paths, it seems as if you’re picking up where you left off and not meeting as strangers for the first time. When you talk to them, you’ll notice that you don’t have to wear a mask, and you feel comfortable being your authentic self.

You’ll quickly realize this almost magnetic connection because it feels effortless and gives you a great sense of comfort. The conversation will come naturally because you speak the same soul language, and even if you sit in silence for a while, it won’t feel awkward or uncomfortable. Your connection with them seems very natural, and you’ll feel like you have many memories together.

2 – You have similar energy and personalities.

A soul sister will vibe and relate to you like no one else, and you won’t have to worry about your energy getting drained around them. You can talk with them for hours and never feel bored or tired of the conversation, and you never run out of topics to talk about. Both of you may have similar interests and thinking patterns, which makes it easy to understand each other. Your personalities also mesh well together, and you just enjoy being in their company or talking on the phone with them.

Even if you talk every day, you don’t feel suffocated by the friendship because they genuinely make your heart happy.

3 – It feels like you met them for an important reason.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a spiritual person, it feels like the universe had a special meaning for bringing you together. You may get this feeling right when you meet them as if they’re an essential piece of your puzzle somehow. Soul connections don’t just happen randomly. Perhaps they’ve come to teach you a soul lesson or help you along your journey somehow. You may not be able to put your finger on it, but you know this friendship feels different than the others in your life, and you feel linked to them in some otherworldly way.

4 – You’ll feel comfortable talking about anything with your best friend.

It may feel as if you haven’t been truly seen or heard before you met your soul sister. From the beginning of your friendship, you’ve felt comfortable sharing some of your deepest secrets because you thought you could trust them early on. You know they’d never judge you or make you feel uncomfortable, so no topic of conversation is off the table.

You speak the same soul language also, so you just get each other without having to explain anything. Even if you come from varied backgrounds, you may find you’ve had similar life experiences, which help strengthen your understanding of one another and bring you closer together.

5 – They love and accept you as you are.

One of the best things about a soul sister is you don’t have to pretend to be something you’re not or change anything about yourself to feel accepted. With your best friend, you can truly come as you are and not have to worry about living up to certain expectations. You can be vulnerable and real with them, and they wouldn’t have it any other way. Meeting them will feel so refreshing to your soul because you’ll feel understood in a way you probably haven’t before.

6 – You consider them part of your family and would do anything for them.

You may not have known them for a long time in this life, but they’ve quickly become significant to you. You don’t even want to imagine life without them because your best friend brings such joy and comfort to your soul. While you might not be blood-related, you treat them as part of your family since you can always count on them for real support and guidance in life. They’re your ride or die for life, and you never have to wonder where you stand with them.

7 – Your soul sister brings out the best in you.

Some people believe that certain divine friendships help bring out real soul qualities, like selflessness, unconditional love, compassion, joy, and peace. If you notice these traits in each other, the universe may have brought you together to help your soul’s evolution. You look up to your best friend and feel lucky to have them in your life because of the amazing person they are. It feels like they want you to become your best self, and you wish the same for them.

8 – You met at a difficult time in each other’s lives.

A lot of soul friendships form during challenging times in life. That’s because the universe likes to send support when you need it the most. Also, if you have a similar karmic path as your soul sister, this could explain why you met at a certain point in each other’s journey. Your intuition might even urge you to talk to this person because the universe always sends precisely who you need at the right time.

Almost immediately, you felt like you could share the struggles in your life with them, and they helped you get through the dark days. A soul sister won’t turn her back on you when you need her the most, and because of this, she’s earned your trust. They uncanningly know exactly what to say to make you feel better, and you genuinely appreciate them for giving such unconditional love and support.

9 – You can have a good time just sitting around and talking.

You can just sit in each other’s companionship and not have to say much to have a good time. You don’t have to stress out about them getting bored around you since you have similar energy and don’t need constant conversation. Additionally, you also do not need to go out to a bunch of places to keep each other entertained, because you can have just as much fun doing nothing at all. These types of friendships where you can just relax and not have to worry about impressing anyone don’t happen often. If you should happen to be fortunate enough to find someone who understands your energy, you’ll probably never get tired of being around them.

10 – Talking to them, feels therapeutic in some way.

When you talk with them, your soul finally feels understood, and you don’t feel as alone anymore. With other friends or family, you might feel they just don’t get you or that you have to censor yourself in some way. With a soul sister, you can talk about your weirdest, darkest thoughts or feelings and not feel embarrassed or ashamed about them. The connection you have with them feels therapeutic and healing for your soul in a way you can’t quite explain, but you just know it deep down.

Final thoughts on signs your best friend is your soul sister

Every once in a lifetime, you might meet someone who feels so familiar and comforting to your soul that you know you’ve crossed paths before. A soul sister changes your life for the better because of the guidance and support they offer, and you can’t imagine life without them anymore. You will feel an overwhelming sense of pure joy and love when you meet them because of the strong bond you share across many lifetimes. They genuinely feel like a soulmate friend, and you connect with them in a way you haven’t with anyone else.

You feel a deep love and care for them, even if you haven’t known them for long in this life. If you have this soul connection in your life, you have truly been blessed by the universe.

When it comes to relationships, there’s nothing worse than being stuck in the “friend zone.” When you long to be a lover, being trapped in this minimal position can cause you a significant internal struggle. Some people are afraid to move forward, while others battle conflicting emotions for months or years of their life.

It’s humiliating to be only thought of as “just a friend” when you desire so much more. Many times, people are afraid to take the next step because they’re worried they will lose a good friend, embarrass themselves by admitting their feelings, or are worried that it won’t work out. It’s complicated to make the shift from friend to lover, but you must follow your heart.

You can live in silent torment if you’re pining away after someone who is a close friend, and you want more. The long nights of hopelessly wanting and waiting for more seems unbearable. If you’re going to put your feelings on the line and still maintain a sense of dignity, then here are some ways to move beyond the “just friends” state.

10 Ways to Make it Out of the Friend Zone

1. Assess the Risk

There are significant risks to jumping out of the friend zone and into a relationship. What would happen if it doesn’t work out? Once you’ve crossed that line, it isn’t easy to go back to just friends. Can you handle the possibilities of them out of your life?

Make a pro and con list of how to handle the situation. Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Have there been any behaviors or indications from him or her that they want more? Think carefully before you make your next move.

2. Develop a Game Plan

Once you’re ready to get out of the friend zone, it’s time to formulate a plan. Do you want a romantic dinner by candlelight to tell them how you feel, or do you want to take them to a park surrounded by nature? It’s essential that you set the stage for the big announcement.

Make a straightforward plan of what you will say, where it will be, and how it will occur. Maybe you could take them to your favorite coffee shop to talk over a cup of Joe.

3. Find the Right Time

Timing is everything in life. You don’t want to ask for a person to leap out of the friend zone the week of finals. If their mind is already overwhelmed by everything going on, then you may not get a receptive response.

Additionally, they may not feel that they’re in a place to develop romantic attachments with so much other stuff going on. It’s best to find the right moment. Then again, there may never be a perfect time, and you shouldn’t prolong the conversation as it only extends your torment.

4. Empower Yourself with Confidence

Whether you’re a man or woman doesn’t matter, it’s challenging to speak up when your dignity is on the line. You must use courage over your fear to tell the other person how you feel. If you don’t take the chance to speak up about your feelings, you may lose them to someone more open and honest.

You need to muster up all the internal strength you can find to tell this person the truth. Remember, you have nothing to lose by being honest, and you might gain everything. It’s always better to be upfront and truthful than to sit by and remain quiet and frustrated.

5. Don’t Go Straight to Sexual Places

If you’ve never had a talk with your friend about being more than just buddies, you shouldn’t go right to sex talk. Sure, they’re smoking hot and sexy, and you dream about making love to them, but if you come out of the gate with this statement, you may scare them away.

It would be best if you told them why you feel so strongly about them. List their qualities that you find attractive such as their eyes or hair. Also, you should bring out things about them that you appreciate beyond physical beauty.

If you want to give your conversation power and merit, then you need to speak your heart. There will be plenty of time for romance later. Right now, you need to get down to business with a serious conversation about your future.

6. Have a Conversation Face-to-Face

There are some conversations that you don’t have by text or by email, and flipping from a friend to a lover is one of them. It’s easy to send a text and wait anxiously for them to answer, but it’s best to look them eye-to-eye and tell them how you feel.

The direct contact and body language let them know that you are serious about them. The other party needs to see how much this means to you. They need to hear the conviction in your voice and see the warmth in your eyes.

It’s easier to say “no” when you’re sending a text, but it’s more challenging to deny true feelings in a person to person setting.

7. Don’t Beg

You want to keep your dignity intact in case this conversation doesn’t go the way you want. Try to come up with a statement that is a few sentences at most. You want to get to the point and stop chattering.

Don’t beg or plead or make bargains for someone to want you as more than friends. Either there’s more there, or there isn’t. You need to state your peace and then give him or her time to say how they feel. Always speak directly to them and be confident. Don’t hesitate or stutter over your words.

8. Be Honest with Yourself

Regardless of how things went down, you need to be honest with yourself. If they didn’t give you the answer you want, don’t hold on thinking they will change their mind. You are only wasting precious time that you could spend with someone else.

If they admitted that they have feelings for you and want to move out of the friend zone, you need to be honest enough to realize this changes everything. Once you cross from friends to lovers, there’s no going back to the way things were.

9. Make Them Miss You

If you didn’t get the answer you want, or they need time to think about things, then you need to give them some space. One of the best tricks in the book is to make them miss you so that they can see how much they genuinely care about you.

Being in the friend zone for an extended period can mess with your mind. While men and women can certainly be friends, there’s always that inner drive that makes one or both want more at some point and time. If they’re unsure how they feel about moving on from the friend zone, spending some time apart may be just what they need to sort out their feelings.

10. Admit Defeat and Move On, If Necessary

You don’t want to hang around any longer than you need too. If you’ve put your feelings on the table, then things will never go back to the way they used to be. If they don’t want any romantic attachments with you, then cut your losses.

There are very few times in these instances where you can salvage the friendship as most of the time. People will go their separate ways. When one wants to be romantically involved, and the other wants to be just friends, it doesn’t work. Admit the relationship was never meant to be, and simply move on.

Final Thoughts on Admitting Defeat if You Do Not Break out of the Friend Zone

The old saying states that it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have experienced love at all. Perhaps, Alfred Lord Tennyson was never stuck in the friend zone when he made such a statement. Still, with each time you give a piece of your heart away, it’s one part of it that you can’t get back.

There is no better feeling than love. It can get you through the darkest nights and give you a reason to get up in the morning. Sadly, there is also no more considerable pain than that of lost or unrequited love.

Think long and hard before you attempt to make the jump from friends to lovers. There is much at stake, and this move will change everything. Try some friendly flirting first and see how and if they respond to your subtle advances.

It’s always best to have some assurance before you take the plunge, but sometimes you must close your eyes and jump!

Having a friend who is lousy at keeping secrets is an unfortunate situation that could end your relationship. It’s one of the basic rules of a friendship, but it still happens, none the less. When you realize a friend betrayed you in this way, you’ll likely be shocked and hurt by it.

Unfortunately, some people may have difficulty keeping things to themselves. Even when they have every intention of keeping their word, they may slip up and mention it to someone else.

You can talk to your friend about this in a thoughtful way. That way, there are no other hard feelings that come out of the discussion. Plus, you can take additional precautions next time to make sure that your secret is safe.

Just remember that being kind is vital, especially if the friendship is important to you. Everyone does or says things that they regret, and your friend may be feeling regret already. Since you’re also feeling regret for confiding in them, keep that in mind the next time you have a secret.

What to Do When Your Friend is Lousy at Keeping Secrets

1 – Confront Them and Tell Them How It Makes You Feel

While you are confronting them about exposing your secrets, this isn’t the only reason you should talk about it. It’s essential to explain to them not only how angry you are, but also how it hurt you. By talking about it, you’re preventing negative feelings from festering.

If you allow negative feelings to fester, you’re only hurting yourself. It can be detrimental to your well-being and mental health. You have to tell the friend exactly how you felt that they exposed your secret.

You should consider the fact that your friend didn’t realize how serious it was when they told your secret. Talking about it can shed light on it if that was the case, and you can help your friend understand. This chat could be all it takes to make them better at keeping secrets in the future.

Keeping the feelings and thoughts to yourself will not help the situation. The only way to make it better is by talking about it. Just remember to be kind as you are explaining it, because your friend may not have realized the mistake.

2 – Forgive Them Even if They Don’t Apologize

Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you are saying what they did was acceptable. It also doesn’t mean that you are letting anyone take advantage of you. The purpose of forgiveness in this situation is solely for personal reasons.

Just like talking about it will help you avoid negative emotions, forgiveness will, too. Without forgiveness, it will eat away at you and make it worse. You’ll continue to feel awful about what happened, and it’ll take a toll on your mental health.

So, even if your friend doesn’t apologize for not telling someone your secret, forgive them anyway. Not for their sake, but for yours.

You don’t want to live with negative emotions forever. Unfortunately, if you don’t address it with the person who caused it, it’ll linger much longer than necessary. The feelings may end up staying with you forever, and it’ll severely impact your relationship with that friend.

3 – Stop Telling Them Your Secrets

If you have already talked to your friend about keeping secrets that you tell them and nothing changed, it’s time to reevaluate your friendship. This doesn’t mean you have to stop being their friend entirely. Instead, it just means that you have to decide if the relationship should change from what it is now.

Even if that person is your best friend, you have to think about your well-being when deciding. If they have struggled to keep your secrets, knowing that it hurts you, then stop telling them things.

You don’t even have to tell them that you aren’t going to share secrets with them anymore. If you’re worried about upsetting them, just stop telling them without mentioning it. They may notice so that the conversation may come up eventually, but chances are they won’t figure it out.

4 – Find a Friend Who Is Good at Keeping Secrets

Turn to a friend you can that you can trust. Don’t tell all of the details and secrets to the friend that you know will tell others. Find the friends who will keep any secret you ask them to.

Instead of continuing to tell your friend who can’t keep secrets, turn to a friend whom you can that you can trust.

If you find a friend who can keep your secrets, you will find so much relief. You won’t have to keep secrets to yourself, and you won’t have to stress about your secrets being told.

5 – Ask Yourself If the Friendship is Worth Repairing

Even if you decide that you want to end the friendship, you should still confront the friend. Telling them how it made you feel is essential no matter what the future of your relationship is. Sometimes, it’s impossible to repair friendships after a betrayal involving trust.

If you find that the relationship irreparable, you have to make that decision and stick to it. This outcome means that you shouldn’t text or call the friend. You have to make a clean break, or you’ll always have mixed feelings on the situations.

By making a clean break, you’re allowing yourself to walk away with a clear conscious. You’ve forgiven, explained your feelings, and decided to end the relationship. This move will enable you to heal and move on positively.

6 – Remember That Trust is Important in a Friendship

It is essential for both you and the friend who exposed your secret to remember that trust is important. You can’t have a healthy relationship if there is no trust between the two of you. This could always be a burden on the friendship, causing lingering negative emotions.

If you think that trust cannot be quickly earned back, stepping away may be best. If you decide to continue the friendship, make it clear that your friend has to earn the trust back.

It may take time, or it may occur sooner than you think. Either way, trust is important and will have to be earned back at this point.

The Way to Make Sure Your Secrets Are Always Safe

Keep Them to Yourself

Sometimes it feels so important to get something off your chest. It may be best to ignore these feelings, however, because you never know who you can fully trust. If your secret is serious and you don’t want it out, force yourself to keep it inside.

You never know when a relationship with a friend will end, and they will look for a way to hurt you. Additionally, the one person you trusted may turn to their significant other or family member. The friend may think that the person they choose to tell will also keep the secret, but that is rarely the case.

Just because your friend trusted the person that they told your secret to doesn’t mean that you should, too. Remember that the people your friend trusts have little loyalty to you, so your secrets are not safe with them. If this happens, your friend likely didn’t mean to hurt you, but the damage will have been done anyway.

The only way to completely prevent your secrets from being exposed is by keeping them to yourself. There is one other safe place you can turn to for complete secrecy, however. You won’t have to worry about your secret being exposed, and this is with a therapist.

Talk to a Therapist (not your friends)

Sometimes, keeping a secret to yourself can be impossible. It’s good to talk about what is bothering you, especially if it is causing negative emotions. When this happens, and you don’t want to risk your secret getting out, consider a therapist.

When you tell something to a therapist, you can guarantee that they are good at keeping secrets. This is because they are legally required to keep what you have told them confidential. Even better, a therapist can help you work through it in ways that a friend can’t.

Final Thoughts on How to Cope with a Friend Who is Bad at Keeping Secrets

It is hard to deal with a friend who isn’t good at keeping secrets. You will likely be hurt and feel betrayed, but all you can do is explain to your friend how it upset you. If the friendship is important to you, make sure you are kind when you confront them.

The next time you have a secret that you want to keep, consider other ways you can deal with it. You can choose a different friend to confide in, or you can keep it to yourself.

If keeping it to yourself isn’t an option, a therapist can help, too. Then, you won’t have to worry about a friend keeping your secrets for you. You’ll be able to get it off your chest and feel secure knowing that your secret is safe.

For generations, young ladies have daydreamed about their future suitors while plucking daisy petals to see if he loves them or not. Maybe you have a guy friend, and you have wondered if he wants to take your relationship from friendship to a romance.

Could he also have a physical attraction to you?

Perhaps, yours is a case of love immortalized by award-winning singer, Bonnie Raitt. If he is having romantic thoughts about you, isn’t it time to give people something to talk about? Was that a sparkle of love in his eye, or are you wishfully thinking?

One may argue that platonic relationships can’t exist. Of course, you may still have men whom you consider friends or “brothers.”

Is there one different guy? How can you tell if he is sending you subliminal romantic thoughts?

Do They Want More? Here are Ways to Be Sure

Trying to guess if someone close to you has a secret crush can be a slippery slope. On the one hand, you don’t want to miss out on romance just because you were too afraid to ask. However, you don’t want to look like a fool and put your heart on the line to discover that you misread his intentions.

What’s a girl/guy to do? Should you be upfront with him, or do you risk losing a good friendship? Is it possible that you are misinterpreting his extroversion for flirtation? If you wish there were more to your relationship, how are you going to know unless you ask?

Just about everyone has been in this dilemma of love at least once in their lives. Secret admiration has been the subject of novels, songs, and art since the beginning. Here are fifteen ways to tell if your guy friend secretly wishes for romance.

1. Does He Call or Text a Lot?

Let’s face it; guys would rather be doing anything than talking or texting. While some men are naturally more talkative than others, his daily texts may be more than friendly hellos. It gets even more apparent when he also calls regularly.

Before you chalk it up to chance or boredom, consider the context of his correspondence. Does he send you corny memes for a laugh, or does his conversation have substance? Maybe his day isn’t the same until he hears from you, which is a good sign that he is having romantic thoughts.

2. Are His Conversations Superficial or Meaningful?

Generally, men are not as in touch with their feelings as women are. Even boyfriends and husbands often find it challenging to discuss the more in-depth, emotional meanings of life. While they are all for love, they usually aren’t comfortable talking about it.

Does your guy friend have long, meaningful conversations with you, or are these talks superficial? Can you tell that he is genuinely interested in what you have to say, and can recall the details in later conversations? Either he is a brilliant conversationalist, or he is digging you.

3. Does He Mention Other Women in His Life?

Sometimes, guy friends use their female friends as sounding boards for their romantic interests and conflicts with other women. If this is your buddy, he might be trying to get a woman’s perspective and feels comfortable discussing it with you. However, you don’t want to be a dating therapist for life.

Does he date often and talk about the other women to you? Do you see him flirting with ladies at work or in public? If the only woman he always mentions is his mother, he is either having romantic feelings for you or you should run the other way.

However, you could be the only one in his eyes, and you have yet to realize it. Listen to his conversations and observe his dating life or the lack thereof. He just may be waiting for you to return his love interest.

4. Does He Seem Nervous Around You?

It’s a man’s nature to feel intimidated or nervous when emotions are involved, especially romance. He may act like a ditzy teenager in puppy love and be amusingly awkward around you. Most men advance from this phase into relaxed confidence as the relationship matures.

Have you noticed that your guy friend is usually calm and collected until he gets around you? Does he seem a bit giddy, clumsy, and stumbles on his words? It could be that he has a secret crush on you.

5. Is He Unusually Interested in Your Life?

While there are anomalies, guys are not usually overly interested in things that women find essential, unless he has romance in mind. If he hasn’t known you for years, he probably isn’t going to remember a lot of details about your life unless he has feelings for you.

Isn’t it odd that he knows all about you without being prompted? Does he know what color your eyes are, your favorite color, or whether you prefer chocolate or vanilla ice-cream? Does it almost seem like he can finish your sentences? He might be a keeper.

6. Is He Jealous of You?

Although jealousy is a complicated emotion to hide, it may be more so for guys. A Platonic buddy wouldn’t care about whom you date and what men you discuss. The only reason a man would get his feathers ruffled would be if he had thoughts of love for you, too.

Does your guy friend seem happy for you when you mention a male love interest, or does he quickly change the subject? Can you see a tinge of the green-eyed monster in his eyes when you are talking to other guys? If he’s jealous, then it may be time for you both to talk.

7. Is He in Touch with You, Literally?

In American society, women are usually the touchy-feely ones. Sometimes, guys misinterpret a lady’s innocent touch on the hand or shoulder as a touch of romance. But if people are attracted to each other, the need to touch is almost irresistible.

The next time you are kicking back with your guy friend, notice how many times he touches you. Does his hand linger on yours, or does he find ways to brush your shoulder, hair, etc.? Maybe he is dreaming of love and touching you as a lover.

8. Is He Often Lost in Your Eyes?

If a stranger continually makes eye contact with you, it is more creepy than romantic. When your guy friend stays locked into your eyes, he may feel a spiritual connection with you. Looking deeply into someone’s eyes indicates trust, honesty, and romance.

9. Does He Truly Notice You?

The bane of many girlfriends and wives is that their men don’t notice things. In the initial stages of romance, guys pay so much attention to their love interest that they often remember the smallest detail. Is he watching you so intently that he knows when something changes, like a new outfit or a different hairstyle?

10. Has He Introduced You to His Family and Friends?

Maybe one of your guy friends has always felt like a brother to you, and you already know his family and background. If not, a closer male companion may casually introduce you to family and other friends.

Is he unusually nervous when he invites you to meet his family? He might be eager to see how they react to a possible love interest. Put your best foot forward because these folks may be part of your life soon.

11. Is He More Interested in One-on-One Time Than with Groups?

When people have love in mind, two is company and three is a crowd. Casual male friends may enjoy alone time with you, but they are just as happy in a group activity. Does your guy friend seem to be finding more excuses for private dates?

12. Is He More Than Generous?

It isn’t unusual for a close guy friend to give you a present for your birthday or the holidays. As a friend, his gifts are probably thoughtful but nonspecific enough for anyone. A guy friend who has romance on his mind may give you gifts for no reason, with an unsaid sentimentality.

13. Is He Extra Careful with His Style and Grooming?

A male buddy has no qualms of meeting you in a faded t-shirt and a ball cap covering his un-brushed hair. You’re his friend, so appearances aren’t always essential. If this guy has a romantic eye on you, he will be sure to dress to impress.

14. Does He Go the Extra Mile for You?

True friends help their friends when needed. However, a guy friend who wants more than friendship may be extra helpful. Does yours go out of his way to help you with things so that he can be with you?

15. Look for Yourself in His Life

Does your male friend want to be romantically involved with you? Browse through his social media accounts and notice your presence. Do you see a lot of photos of the two of you together?

Final Thoughts on Recognizing the Signs of Blooming Romance

Taking a chance on romance can be risky with your guy friend. Is not living with regrets worth the risk? Consider these tell-tale clues and see if they lead you to love. Sometimes, the most excellent relationships start as friends and blossom into more. Don’t let true love pass you unnoticed.

If someone wants to be your friend, they’ll let you know in some way. They might start by inviting you somewhere or adding you to their social media accounts. However, true friendship today seems quite rare as we lead busier lives than ever before. We live in a time where making friends online seems like the most comfortable option. It only takes a quick search to find groups where we feel we belong, and we can choose from thousands of people to form friendships with.

Of course, online friends should never take the place of real-life friendships. Studies have shown that even people who have thousands of Facebook or Instagram friends usually only have one or two close friendships in their real lives. We need human interaction to survive, and unfortunately, more people report feeling lonely than ever before. Scientists have even called it a “loneliness epidemic” because of its far-reaching and dramatic effects on our mental health.

This problem doesn’t just affect seniors, either. Many millennials and Generation Z-er’s report feeling lonely also, and this can have disastrous effects on their health. Scientists have found that loneliness carries the same risks as smoking 15 cigarettes per day, which shows how much humans need friendships.

Now that we’ve talked about the importance of friends in our daily lives, we’ll discuss some signs that reveal someone wants to initiate a friendship.

“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” – Walter Winchell

Here are seven signs someone wants to be your friend:

Read to see the behaviors that reveal when somebody wants your friendship.

1 – They enjoy your company and accept you for who you are.

You find that you can let your guard down around them because they seem accepting and nonjudgmental. If someone wants to be your friend, they will take the time to get to know the real you. They encourage you to take off your mask around them and be your full self. A real friend would never judge you for your opinions, thoughts, or beliefs about the world.

If someone wants to initiate a friendship, they will invite you to hang out and take time to see what’s underneath the mask. You can relax and enjoy their company because they have your best interests at heart.

2 – They check in on you often.

If you’ve recently started talking to someone but haven’t established a friendship yet, this person will keep showing effort. If they really want to be your friend, they’ll text or message you often just to see how your day is going. Even if they don’t have much to talk about, they’ll just love hearing from you and engaging in small talk. They genuinely care about your well-being, and this will show with their actions.

Real friendship doesn’t mean you have to put in effort always, but it does mean showing you care by checking in and offering support if needed.

3 – They share deep, meaningful things about themselves with you.

A real friend wants to get to know the real you, and they share their authentic selves right back. They don’t just want to talk about superficial things like shopping and gossip with you. They will feel comfortable sharing their deepest, darkest secrets with you after getting to know you, and they want you to feel okay doing the same. You won’t fear judgment or ridicule from them, and they will feel like they can let their guard down around you. If someone wants to be your friend, they will open up and let you see their true self.

4 – If they want to be your friend, they will put in the effort.

A real friend will not make you chase them down continually or keep you hanging when you ask to do things with them. They call and text you just as much as you do them because they know friendship takes two people to work. Even if they don’t talk to you every day, they still will put in an effort to hang out with you often. They ask about your life and make sure you know you’re important to them.

5 – They give you room to talk and listen attentively.

If someone wants to be your friend, they will allow you to express yourself and won’t judge you for it. Many people don’t feel heard in their relationships, but a real friend will make sure you have time to talk about what’s important to you. They will want to break down your walls and get to know your heart.

• They won’t only talk about themselves.

If someone wants to be your friend, they’ll let you vent or talk as much as you need to. You won’t have to worry about them interrupting or only having a one-sided conversation. This person will make you feel heard and respect what you have to say.

• They will make you feel important by giving you their full attention.

They will give your conversation their full attention and not half-heartedly listen while playing on their phone. If someone truly wants your friendship, you will feel it in their efforts. Your intuition will let you know that this person does not just want to use you or play games. They enjoy the person you are and want to form a friendship with you.

• You can always count on them.

Whenever you need them, you can call them and not feel guilty about it. They give you their time even when they have a busy schedule, and they know you’ll have their back, too. If someone really wants to be your friend, they’ll open up their hearts to allow you in. Real friends make sure you feel safe and comfortable opening up to them and calling on them when you need them the most.

6 – They ask you a lot of questions about yourself.

When someone wants to initiate a friendship, they will ask you common questions about yourself. Some questions may include:

• Where were you born? How long did you live there?
• What do you do for a living? Is it your dream job?
• What’s your favorite type of food?
• Are you married? Have kids?
• What’s your favorite place to travel?
• What did you go to school for?
• What kind of music/movies/books do you like?

These are just a few examples. But in general, people will give some sort of indication they want to know you by asking questions. You can’t really get to know anyone without asking about them. So if someone does this, they might want to start a friendship with you.

7 – They will invite you to hang out.

If someone wants to be your friend, they will want to spend time with you. This may mean asking you to see a movie, go to dinner, go for a hike, or something else where you can get to know each other. They may invite you to a group setting or one-on-one, but either way, it shows you mean something to them, and they enjoy your company.

Casual acquaintances can also turn into a deep friendship. Perhaps your casual friend from yoga class or the gym may want to hang out outside of your usual meeting place. Instead of waiting on them to ask, you can always invite them out for coffee or to your favorite park. In life, we can’t forever wait on someone else to make the first move. They may want to be your friend, but feel too shy to take the next steps.

Just as you should always remain open to friendship, you should also make it known to others when you want to be their friend. After all, friendship is a two-way street, and you never know how someone feels until you ask.

Final thoughts about signs someone wants to be your friend

Sometimes people don’t show visible signs when they want to initiate friendship. They might talk to you occasionally at the gym or yoga, but don’t know how to say they want to get to know you better. You might have to ask them to hang out if you don’t want to wait around for them to take the next step.

However, sometimes, people will show more apparent signs that they like you. For example, they may ask you to hang out, ask questions to get to know you better, or simply allow you to talk about your life. They will put in the effort to keep up the friendship, accept you as you are, check-in with you, and share important facts about themselves.

Many people today feel lonely, so if someone reaches out and makes room for you in their life, make sure you keep that friend close. Technology has mostly changed the way we interact, and real friendship seems rarer than ever. If you find a rare gem which seems sincere in their friendship, cherish them – real friends help us weather the many storms we face in life.