Friendship is one of the most important parts of our life, and adds significant value to our wellbeing and happiness.

Some of the factors that lead to sourness in our relationship with our friends are miscommunication, time constraints and change in priorities, distance, ego-clashes, and even involvement of third parties at times.

Conscious efforts to build and maintain trust, communication, and understand can help us nurture and cherish our friendships till the end of time. Friends are people we love to spend time with. They give us company when we are lonely, support us unconditionally and accept us despite our shortcomings. They make celebrations fun, and they help us be ourselves.

Not just that, friends also help us grow at a spiritual level. Friends are guides who come into our lives, play their roles and move on.

It is important for us to have friends but many of us find it difficult to strike up a friendship. If we keep a few things in mind, it shouldn't be difficult to make friends.

The first is to start a relationship with the right expectations. Don't expect too much. If you start with high hopes, the relationship is likely to flounder. For anyone to fulfil your expectations, they need to understand what is expected of them. This understanding takes time. Besides, expectations are always two-sided, so having low expectations ensures the same from others.

In any relationship, and especially in friendship, it is important to communicate clearly what you are feeling. Honest communication leads to the right expectations. Always speak frankly about the way you feel. This ensures that your friend understands you for who you are and not the image that she might have created in her mind. It also ensures that there is complete acceptance and trust in the relationship.