Friends are truly important to me. Friends bring courage, especially good friends that are really interested in you being something more than just average. They can bring out the best in you, set you on the right path.   Today, I have 4 reasons why making friends and pursuing lifelong friendships is crucial. No matter how old you are, or what job you find yourself in. No man is an Island. I am coming from the perspective of a Dad here – talking about how friendships really help whatever circumstances I’m going through as a family man and an entrepreneur.   1.    Great Friends Know You   It is really important to be known. To allow someone know how you think, feel, what you do – how you life your life. Let people get to know you and allow yourself to know others.   2.    Great Friends are For You   Not everyone is going to have your back, but making friends and pursuing lifelong friendships will ensure that there are people that are for you, no matter what.   3.    Great Friends Bring Laughter   What about fun and laughter? What about spontaneity? What about forgetting the plan and seizing the moment? What about a radical departure from the strategy map without having a guilt seizure?   Even if you have lots on at work you need fun. In fact, stacking up your goals and workloads is pretty pointless without fun. You aim is to make the most of every opportunity, not just the ones at work.     4.    Great Friends Share Stories   If you have some great friends, sit down with them and start a discussion around a default and ask ‘why?’ Get them to ask ‘why?” Write down any questions you are dealing with and see where they take you. My good close friends, especially the ones that believe anything is possible, are a real source of opportunity, asking questions for me.   Let me give you an example of how this works. A few friends and I were sat around in the pub last night talking about our respective jobs. One friends was a Doctor who regularly gets extra work doing death certificates. They take little time to do and are quite lucrative, paying for the annual holiday. Another friend was a teacher, he was lamenting about how teachers don’t really get opportunity to increase their salary through being a teacher. I immediately disagreed and said it had to be possible. We started to talk about different ideas about how this teacher could increase his income using the skills he has acquired as a teacher. I found it really useful because we were talking about possibilities in all the ideas we had. Who knows where this innocent conversation between friends will lead for him and his family.   > When great friends stop being your friend.  - Forgiveness not bitterness. - don’t let it stop you investing again. - risk it.   Conclusion   Make it priority to see your friends on a weekly basis. You need them and they need you! It will help you become as awesome as you were made to be, it will enhance all areas of life. You can do this!