Making New Friends Can Be Extremely Satisfying For Retirees!

| by Cynthia Barnett | March 11, 2006
After retiring, you may find yourself needing to make new friends. Perhaps your other friends are still employed or maybe you simply want to find new friends with whom you can share this wonderful new experience. Whatever, the reason may be, making new friends after retirement can be a blast and doesn’t have to be a scary or frustrating process. In this brief but informative article, we will discuss five proven tips that you can use today to make new friends. So, sit back, relax, grab a cup of coffee and get ready to learn.

1. Desire to meet new people. First and foremost, you must have the desire to meet new friends. If you are happy with the friends that you already have and they seem to meet all of your companionship needs, you may not be motivated to meet new people. Instead, you may feel comfortable and not ready to venture out into meeting new people. If however you truly believe in your heart and soul that this is a great time to meet new people and you’re open and receptive to meeting them then you’ll be very successful in your friend quest. For those of you that aren’t sure, just remember that making new friend takes absolutely nothing away from your current friendships and may in some ways enhance them.

2. Visit new places. Second, once you’ve decided that now is a great time to make new friends, you should take some time and visit places in which you may meet new people. Some places that you may consider are senior activity centers, part district sponsored events, health clubs, churches, extracurricular classes such as computer, art, and photography classes, etc. They key here is to find people that share common interest with you and then discuss your commonalities with them. Remain friendly and optimistic and feel confident and in no time at all, you’ll garner up a new friendship with someone great.

3. Use nontraditional meeting places. Third, try meeting friends in nontraditional settings by utilizing the internet or snail mail. Pen pals and internet buddies can be very exciting and satisfying friends. However, you must be very careful not to divulge personal information and take your time actually meeting them face to face. This is because there are many unscrupulous people that wish to do damage to innocent people.

4. Nurture your new friendships. Fourth, you must remember to nurture your new friendships. That is, in order to have a friend, you must be a friend. By actively seeking new friendships when you find them and consistently demonstrating kindness, thoughtfulness, loyalty and honesty at all times, you’ll not only make someone feel good but you’ll inspire your new friend to do the same.

5. Enjoy the meeting process. Fifth, enjoy the meeting process. Although change can be difficult, it can be fun. Meeting new friends is one of life’s greatest rewards and as you embark on this new adventure, enjoy yourself and relish in the friend making process.

In closing, making friends doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it can be a fun and rewarding experience if you are motivated, frequently visit interesting places, try non traditional methods of meeting people, commit yourself to being a true friend and enjoy the friend meeting process. In no time at all, you’ll have a new friend, one that will continue to grow and mature over time.

Article Source: http://www.articleset.com



About the Author

Dr. Cynthia Barnett is a “re-fired” educator who has reinvented her life, moving from the schoolhouse to an entrepreneurial venue. Dr. Barnett is the author of “Stop Singing the Blues: 10 Powerful Strategies for Hitting the High Notes in Your Life” and RE-FIRE, Don’t Retire : 7 Powerful Strategies for an Extraordinary Life Now and in Retirement. (www.stopsingingtheblues.com). She was featured in Time magazine for their article about women in mid-life who have reinvented themselves. If you liked today’s article, stay tuned for more FREE articles, FREE teleseminars, FREE tips and other resources to help you create a blueprint for an extraordinary retirement. Dr. Cynthia Barnett 203-855-9714 doctorcynthia@refiredontretire.com http://www.refiredontretire.com. » Read more articles by Cynthia Barnett
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