Can I Really be my Own Best Friend?

Many people have heard it said that you should be your own best friend. At first, such a statement may sound a little silly or even downright ridiculous, and you may even think that only those who can't manage to be friends with another person needs to be his or her own best friend. Yet, while it's great to have other people as close friends, you do have to rely mostly on yourself and what you do rather than expecting other people to always help and guide you. If you realize this need for self-reliance despite your relationships with others, it becomes easier to see that it's a good idea to be your own best friend.

The qualities that a friend should have may vary depending on whom you ask, but it can be pretty much agreed that a best friend is a genuinely caring one that can be trusted. If you can agree that you deserve to treat yourself with that same genuine care and trust, then the idea of being your own best friend may seem more realistic than you first thought. It can even turn out to be the greatest thing you ever did for yourself.

Being your own best friend means that you are concerned about yourself, and you stand up for yourself. This can be empowering. Just as a friend may confront you about something you should be doing such as looking for a job without giving up, for example, you can do this for yourself.

Just because you are a friend to yourself doesn't have to mean that you have to go without other good friends. You need people in your corner, so to speak, but you also need to guiding yourself and stand up for yourself in the best possible way. If you think about all the benefits being your own best friend can bring, it can be difficult to argue against it.