7 Ways to Be Your Own Best Friend

 7 Ways to Be Your Own Best Friend

Teenagers can be tough on themselves, especially when they fail to meet their high expectations or the demands of parents, friends, teachers, and the media. What we tell ourselves becomes our reality; if you’re beating yourself up all the time, you’ll begin to believe it and feel even worse about yourself. If you’re constantly your own worst critic, try these seven ways to be your own best friend instead of your worst enemy.

1) Find your voice

Having a positive outlook on life is an important part of the teen ministry and having someone there who believes in you can make all the difference. It’s not easy having your voice, espespeciallyecially as a teenager (or as a young adult for that matter). But it’s what’s inside that counts, so find your voice! No one else knows how you feel, or what you want to say better than you do. Some people care about you out there—help them love and accept themselves by learning how to love and accept yourself.

2) Take risks

Because teenagers love novelty, they sometimes like to challenge themselves by trying something new. If you’re going through a tough time in your life and aren’t sure how best to handle it, talk with a friend or your parents about what you can do. Taking risks can be fun and exciting—and sometimes very scary—but by tackling challenging situations head-on, teens learn that they have what it takes.

3) Surround yourself with people who love you

There’s a reason that Eleanor Roosevelt said, No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. If you surround yourself with people who love and support you, they will have no problem showing you what matters—they’ll respect your opinion and listen when you speak. If someone consistently refuses to listen to your opinions or doesn’t encourage you in what makes you feel good about yourself, it may be time for them to go.

4) Unplug regularly

And while you’re spending time with your BFF, don’t just stare at your phone. Put it down and hug her. Remember: Friendships are two-way streets. It’s important that you spend time with your friends—and spend time with them—so they know they’re important to you.

5) Seek help when needed

You are not perfect, and it’s okay. If you find yourself needing additional support or help in your personal life, reach out and ask for what you need. Friends, family members, co-workers—all these people can be trusted and relied upon to lend a helping hand when needed.

6) Do something every day that makes you happy

If you don’t think that sounds like a teenager ministry idea, you should know it was created by one. Do something every day that makes you happy—whether it’s calling a friend or going for a walk—and remember that life is full of twists and turns, so enjoy it while you can. At some point, we all feel embarrassed, left out, rejected or misunderstood by someone we care about. So what? That won’t last forever.

7) Love the person looking back at you in the mirror

Learning how to love yourself is a fundamental skill. It’s not that you don’t know how; it’s just that your mind keeps wanting you to be someone else—and when that happens, it can be difficult for your heart and soul to do what they were made for. Loving yourself requires an investment of time, but becoming a best friend isn’t as impossible as it might seem at first glance. Here are seven practical ways you can start loving yourself today.

8) Make Jesus Christ your friend

The Apostle Paul writes that having Christ as our best friend is better than even having a lot of friends (Philippians 4:10). In other words, it’s better to have one close friend than lots of casual acquaintances. In a way, we can take Paul’s advice and apply it to our relationship with God: He wants us to be able to count on Him more than anyone else. That doesn’t mean He expects us to be dependent on Him—it just means we should know that when times get tough, or when we need someone to listen, or when something good happens, there’s no one better than Jesus. He will always accept you for who you are and love you unconditionally.