Friends are all around us. We just don‟t realize who they are. Most times, we lose potential friendships just because we are too preoccupied with ourselves.

Sometimes, we do not even venture out to find where these potential friends are. The truth is, friends are everywhere. 

Image by Jamaica Tourist Board   

They are meeting you all the time but there are some reservations that are keeping you from getting closer to them. Since now you have decided to find permanent friends, you can actually set out to look for them.

Where do you find them then? Everywhere, yes, but where exactly? Let us see how easy it is to find the friends you are looking for.

Join a Club or a Class

So your busy schedule does not allow you to meet more people apart from those that are working with you?

Well, then use your weekends to the hilt. Join a club or a class for a subject that really interests you. Like French? Join a French speaking class. Like tennis?

Join a club and play tennis there. It could be anything you like; there‟s always a club or a class for that. People of all types are found in such places and since you are doing something together, the atmosphere is very conducive to friendships.

The best part of finding friends through these avenues is that these people are also interested in the same things as you are. So you already have something to talk about if an opportunity for conversation posed itself.

If you are in a cooking class, you are going to start talking about cooking with others. This breaks the ice and slowly the conversation can veer toward other things.

The teachers or coaches in such places are already trained on how to foster friendships. They even do this from a business perspective.

They are told that if they make people feel more comfortable in the class or the club, they are likelier to bring other people to join. Hence, they make sure everyone gets to know the other.

Be Active in the Church

No one asks you questions about why you are doing something for the church. In fact, it is looked upon as a very good thing. And the great bonus is that you can make good friends here.

People who attend masses are people of faith and when they you doing things for the institution, they are going to like you and try to get in touch with you. People who are active in church get more invitations to weddings and other celebrations, which is a great way to meet new people who could be friends.

Attend Social Events 

Got invited to a function that you plan on skipping? Don‟t do that. Go wherever you are invited.

These are the places where some people know you and where you have a chance to get introduced to a lot more unknown people. Next time you get an invite, don‟t turn it down casually.

Make Friends Online

There are hundreds of social networking sites where you can make friends. Facebook, MySpace, ReggaeFalls are just some names that come to mind. These are places where you can find likeminded people and communicate with them.

You can build groups, message them directly, chat with them and maybe even meet them personally if it is possible and if you find they are right for you.

There are some drawbacks here, such as you cannot meet the people in their flesh and blood at least initially and that you need to have some knowledge of using the Internet.

However, this is the new trend about people meeting new people and making friends.