Why It's High Time for You to Learn to Become Your Own Best Friend

Ever wondered, in this hasty race of life, who is that one person who would stick by your side till you don’t make it out of the dark tunnel?

Whom can you rely on for as many times as possible without feeling bothered about being judged or going unheard?

Whom do you think you can show all your vices to and continue to be loved the same way?

Before you start racking your brains to think of people who would do all this for you, why not give yourself a chance to be that best buddy to yourself?

It is not unusual to see many friends hanging around in cafes and gaming arcades on days off. But before you strengthen your relationship with them, why not delve deeper into your interests and likings and choose to live a life that suits you best?

The basic human need is to have somebody just stand by your side.

Image Credits: SHARMAINE MONTICALBO on Pexels

But what if there comes a moment in life when you don’t have them to push you? That is when you need to take charge of your life.

While there is nothing wrong with having a bunch of friends whom you can rely upon, it is equally necessary to learn to be by yourself.

If your friend supposedly moves out of town or leaves the country altogether someday, the void may eat you up.

To ensure that the pace of your life stays steady, unaltered by the presence or absence of any person, you must realize that if there is one person who can possibly get you to push yourself harder, it is you.

There is a sense of freedom that comes with befriending yourself for life.You’re stuck with yourself for the rest of your life now and can’t part until you breathe your last!

People may come and go, but the bond you share with yourself, my friend, will remain forever.

It is a privilege to be your own best friend, especially when you don’t know how to navigate the mighty waters ahead of you.

Oh, what a joy it is to blaze your path all by yourself!

Relying upon friends in need but not feeling lonely or helpless while they’re gone. What is it if not an art?

The art of befriending oneself is not discussed much, but the one who grasps it well secures the master key to unlock the trickiest doors of failures and rejections.

Image Credits: Oleksandr P on Pexels

As long as you continue to stick by yourself, there is absolutely nothing in this world that you cannot conquer.

Investing all your faith in yourself becomes the driving force that gives you the desired push. Remember, loneliness feeds on you.

But if sticking around by oneself was only that easy, why is it considered to be an art then, you may ask?

To answer your question, I would like you to do some imagining.

Think that you’re sitting in a fine dining restaurant all by yourself. You did not have anybody to accompany you, so you chose to have a big dinner alone.

For many people, sitting alone at their office desks is a daunting task, let alone going out for dinner.

What is the first thought that will cross your mind when you see the other tables flooded with the cheers of friends and family members?

A wee bit of awkwardness? Loneliness, too, maybe?

Probably, that you don’t belong there just because you’re alone. That is the exact conception that goes around.

Image Credits: Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels

This is why appreciating the silence and learning to value the time that you spend with yourself often appears to be such a humongous task.

Befriending yourself does not necessarily mean distancing yourself from other friends or cutting off ties with relatives to be all by yourself.

While it is crucial to believe in virtues like companionship, it is equally important to realize the importance of not having to constantly rely on other people to go out and make plans with.

The importance of being your biggest cheerleader lies in the fact that you need not wait for anybody else to make you feel special, for you are very much capable of doing that for yourself.

To resolve all your doubts and queries, I have three easy-to-follow steps to get you started on your journey of becoming the best friend to yourself that you’ve been yearning for:

1. Spend a good amount of time getting to know yourself: When setting out on a journey as novel and ambiguous as learning to become a friend to yourself, it is necessary that you start by chalking out your likes and dislikes. Be curious. Ask yourself questions like, “What is it that makes my day?” “What is it that irks me?” Just as you understand where someone comes from and their likes and dislikes before you can become their friend, follow the same procedure for yourself.

Grab a pen and paper and jot down some very introspective questions that will help you get to know yourself better.

Just as you familiarize yourself with a new person before you befriend them, embark on a mission to become more self-aware.

Image Credits: Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels

2. Walk out of your comfort zone: After detangling all knots of confusion in your head, take a giant leap. Jump out of your comfort zone! Jump as high and as far as possible from whatever it is that limits you from doing what you love.

Feeling shy about discovering a new café that has opened in your locality?

Grab your wallet and go out on a hunt for the best delicacies there.

Feeling bored of sitting at home all day long, having nothing to do? Go to the nearest bowling arcade all by yourself!

When you suddenly realize what had been keeping you from your dreams for so long is your fear of getting judged, you start cherishing living life on your terms.

Give yourself the best, and you will get nothing but joy in return.

Image Credits: Oleksandr P on Pexels

3. Compliment yourself a little too often: There is no harm in giving yourself a pat on your back every now and then. Keep on expressing what it is that you love the most about yourself, and keep repeating it again and again.

This is one of the quickest ways of developing self-assurance. By acknowledging your self-worth and cultivating inner value, you are taking control of what makes you feel good. Rather than try to fit your choices and decisions into what someone else defines as successful or powerful, turn inward and acknowledge that you have value and meaning in the world.

Image Credits: Matthias Cooper on Pexels

Now that we have covered all the basics of learning how to become your best buddy, you can treat this as your own tiny survival guide to swear by every time you feel puzzled or find yourself questioning the authority of other people in your life.

The time when those who lacked friends were demeaned has long gone by.

It is now time for a new narrative to unfold!

It is time for you to take the reins of your life into your own hands and show the world what an equally humbling pleasure it is to be your own friend!