Take care of your friendships - Peter Varholak

Quite time ago I heard: "Friends are family members that you personally choose. Dear toastmaster, honorable toastmaster members and most welcomed guests when it comes to thinking and income "You are average of 5 people you spend most time with.

1. Who is friend:

For me solid friend is someone you can call anytime, meet just for a talk or any other activity and also discuss your secrets or private matters, friend is someone that helps you with your goals if you need, is loyal, trusted, you can visit him or her at home and you are offered a place to sleep if you are too drunk to drive home. But seriously solid friend is someone that cares about you...

2. What is happening in past years:

In last years, when facebook and other social media started and especially with development of smartphones we started to loose solid friends.We now have hundreds of social media friends, but we write only sometimes few words to each other. And majority of people use social media for something else than to be in contact with people. Games or posting a photos of their food or pet on the wall. Can you imagine couple of years ago to take pictures of your food and go around your friends just to show them these? Of course not. According to researchers network of people that you can tell your secrets and private things decreased from 2,94 in 1985 to 2,08 in 2004. Obviously we are communicating more throughout social media and less in person. One of my teachers of close protection once told me: there is nothing comparable to personal contact. Also my friends told me that if you want to stay friend with somebody you have to visit these people at least once a year personally. In my life I lost actually contact with some quality people because I didn´t have time to visit them last year. One is in Switzerland and one in Sweden so it is not so long journey to do. Too bad for me but it si valuable lesson for this year. But I am sure you also have people in your life that you see after several years and you are behaving like you were in contact every day. Usually it´s not the case with most people but if it is you are lucky. Anyway you have to care about all solid friendships with people you like to see.

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3. What I want you to do:

Ladies and gentleman. We are loosing real friends! And because of this phenomenon I want you to do 3 things.

3.1. Call your good friend tomorow and ask him how he or she is. Don´t use social media! Be brave enough to call somebody you miss and had fun in the past. Do it! Do it tomorow!

3.2. Meet your friend personally till the end of the week. Tea, coffee or beer and a little bit of talk will be good for you both. And tell him or her that you should meet more often! Not because I say so, but because you like to see each other.

3.3. Visit your friend in foreign country if you have one this month. You have to plan your vacation? Do it! There is nothing in this world that can replace old buddy of yours. NOTHING! Your computer game? Your smartphone? Your facebook? No. Nothing from these.

Ladies and gentleman this year will be hard without friends. Do something that will make it easier for you. Call your friend and meet him or her soon. And don´t forget why are you doing this. You want to be with people that cares about you. Don´t you?