15 Signs That You Are Surrounded By Good Friends

An old saying goes, “Surround yourself with the people you want to be like.” Successful people want to surround themselves with successful people. Optimists like to be around optimists. How can you tell if you’re hanging around with the right group of friends for you? Here are 15 signs that you are surrounded by good friends who care about you and not just what you can do for them!

1. Your friends listen to you.

A good friend can tell when you need an ear, or just to take the floor for a few minutes and talk something out. More importantly still, they help you determine where you have good, solid, actionable ideas and where they think you’re a little off base.

2. Your friends care about you.

Good friends take the time to ask about your life, your interests, and your opinions. They also take the time to be there when you need them, and want to help you be the best person you can be.

3. Your friends know when to throw a party.

There’s nothing wrong with blowing off a little steam, celebrating a milestone, or just making an event happen “because.” A group of friends who are really in tune with your needs know exactly when and how to party without taking it to extremes or getting you involved with anything illegal or uncomfortable.

4. Your friends know when to end a party.

Even the best party has to end eventually, and good friends can tell when it’s time to leave. If someone’s getting drunk and belligerent, or you’ve been yawning for the last half hour, they will understand it’s time to call it a night and leave gracefully.

5. You feel like your friends have your best interests at heart.

You may not always agree with what your friends say or their perceptions of a situation. However, they’re always thinking of what’s best for you in the long run. This can be a tricky line to walk, and sometimes you have an obligation to ignore the advice of others. Nevertheless, a good friend will be less worried about sparing your feelings than looking out for you.

6. Your friends support you.

Even when you do something your friends don’t agree with, if they’re really good friends, they will support whatever you decide to do, within reason. They may not agree or like what you’re doing, like moving across the country to snag a good-paying job, but they’ll be there with the pizza and beer while you load up the truck!

7. You always hear the truth from them.

Good friends don’t lie. (Except on rare occasions of the “Does this dress make me look fat?” sort. Those kinds of lies don’t count, because they are intended to spare your feelings.) When the chips are down and you really need to be told the truth, your friends may hate it…but they’ll do it. This applies in situations like when your friends tell you maybe you’re partying a little too much or working too hard. If they tell you something like this, they’re speaking from the heart. You owe it to them and your friendship to listen.

8. Your friends check in on you.

A good friend cares about the people close to them. If they don’t hear from you periodically, they pick up the phone or even send an email. “Dude, where you at? Everything okay?” This doesn’t mean they constantly worry about you, because sometimes people get sick or busy and life happens. But they do take the time to let you know they’re thinking about you.

9. Your friends know when to leave you alone.

Sometimes you just want (or need) to be left alone. Work assignments, homework, or relationship woes can all leave you feeling like you just need a little downtime to work out your situation. A good friend understands and respects this. They’ll make it clear that they’re available if and when you need them, but they also understand that everyone needs alone time once in a while. Conversely, they also know you well enough to say, “Enough’s enough!” and drag you out of the house by your hair if necessary!

10. You don’t feel like you always have to reciprocate.

A good friendship doesn’t come with a balance sheet. While you should always try to give as good as you get from your friends, that doesn’t mean you or they should feel obligated every single time. The point of a friendship is to be there as much as you can, when you can, to the fullest extent you can. Sometimes that means Jim picks up the beer, while you bring the pretzels. Sometimes Josh throws the party and you pitch in with the cleanup. Sooner or later in a good friendship, the books will balance naturally and intuitively, without either side having to do anything except be themselves.

11. You can call your friends anytime you need them.

Let’s put some rules on “anytime.” This does not mean three in the morning, unless someone is dead! Within reason, however, and during the hours when you KNOW they’ll be awake, you can call and say, “Hey…you got a few minutes? I need an ear.” If they say, “Not now, but let me call you back,” then respect that. If they’re willing to sacrifice time to help you out, it’s only fair that they should be able to do it on their schedule, especially for those who have “real jobs.”

12. Your friends feel like they can call you when they need you.

Part of being a good friend is being available, and this applies just as much to you as it does your friends. A friend who feels like you’re available for them when needed is more likely to be there for you when you need them!

13. Your friends celebrate your victories and help you get over your setbacks.

Milestones deserve to be celebrated, and misery loves company. A good friend will congratulate you on your accomplishments and achievements without letting you rest on your laurels. Similarly, a good friend won’t let you wallow in self-pity when things go a little sideways. A good friend will celebrate or commiserate with you as appropriate, always asking the question, “So what’s next?”

14. Your friends see you for who you are.

We all wear masks and put on a show in our public lives, whether we choose to admit it or not. A good friend sees beyond the mask or the front and looks at the real person behind them. You can tell a good friend because they’re not afraid to call you out on your front, but they still want to be around you even when what’s behind it isn’t always the nicest, kindest, or best person. A good friend inspires you to be and do better than you are, but cares for you because of who and what you are.

15. Your friends tell you when you’re making a mistake.

No one likes to hear it when they screw up. That’s just human nature. However, a true friend is able to tell you you’re making a mistake without making a federal case of it. People who love you and support you even when they don’t necessarily agree with you are the kind of friends that are worth keeping, no matter where life takes you.

– J.S. Wayne

Originally at http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/15-signs-that-you-are-surrounded-good-friends.html

How to be a superstar again like Salman Khan

Seems ki woh pikchar Bodyguard is a super hit. In fact this movie might be even bigger than Dabanng! Once there was a time like this when Salman was a superstar. He was one of the big three. His popularity was tremendous in India – when single screens still reigned supreme. People overseas were nuts for him. The man was a legend.
The rise of the multiplexes dented Salman’s box office viability. As Indians grew in stature on the global platform, they adopted a sensibility not aligned with Salman’s old jhatka matka ways. They flocked to see more diversity and Salman’s box office collections dwindled. His movies were still making money (Tere Naam, No Entry) but they were littered in a corridor of alarming clunkers (Salaam-e-Ishq, Marigold, God Tussi Great Ho, Yuvvraaj, Veer). Had audiences left Salman behind?
Out of nowhere Salman is having the time of his life. He’s cranked out blockbuster hits like Wanted, Dabanng, Ready and Bodyguard. How did he make this dhuwadaar mother of all comebacks? Here is the formula – revealed at last!

Be patient – things will turn around

So what if multiplex audiences are rejecting you? Give them time. Pretty soon they’ll start missing all their bad habits and come to watch throwaway entertainment. Can people afford to be intellectual all the time? No sir, they cannot! Besides they’ll eventually have kids – who won’t be as jaded about watching potboiler cinema.

Invoke the inner goonda in your core audience

While flipping channels recently I came across a scene from Dabanng. I watched for a few minutes. Next to me my 9 year old son Youngling pionted to Salman and said “Dad, he thinks he’s so cool, but he’s a jerk!” In that movie Salman walked the edge between a terrorist and a dil-ka-sachha romeo so dangerously that we all felt like we were watching something seminal – like Laila Majnu with Gulshan Grover in the lead.
By playing goondas who were well meaning but misguided, Salman invoked the inner boisterousness in us all.

Protect your image carefully

Look what happened to Salman’s competition. Aamir Khan got all smartypants and started talking about issues and well rounded entertainment. Shahrukh embraced his middle age by becoming an increasingly benevolent maharaja. And that Kolkata Knight Riders debacle? Shudder! Lets not even go there. These two completely lost their edge.
But what did Salman do? He stayed true to his bad boy roots and made waves in the media for his jhagdas and romantic lafdas. Sure when those movies were flopping there was time left to crank out some paintings and reveal an artistic side. But that was on the down low. In an entertainment world of shifting sands, Salman became the most reliable touchstone.

Always make the same movie

Diversity is all well and good. But after a while you crave for ghar ka khaana. That home cooked meal is Salman Khan. Having the same daal roti sabzi each time is irrelevant. In fact, its sheer predictability is exactly why people gravitate towards it.

Convert your dances into anthems

See, there are three things you need to work out with the producer before you sign the movie. Reading the script might sound like one of those three things, but that is not for our man.
Instead insist on having a signature dhamaaka song. Then put lots of “common people” in it. You know like policemen, chaiwalas, jhaaduwalas and neta types. This will allow the “common man” to feel like Salman cares for them. And the people who consider themselves uncommon will feel that this is a noble thing to do and watch also.
Lastly keep your dance steps simple, like jerking your collar (Wanted) or pumping your belt (Dabanng) or putting your hands in your pant pockets and playing table tennis (Ready). You can bet everyone will try this once at home. Momentarily you will have a viral hit on your hands.

Make all your co-actors irrelevant

In Dabanng Salman acted with a creamy, sexy heroine who glowered and threw him meaningful glances. No one even knew how to spell Sonakshi properly. Did it matter? No.
In Ready Salman acted with Asin, an overactor with lack of grace who was stuck with a bad stylist. Even when she danced it looked like she was practicing Jiu-jitsu. Did it matter? No.
In Bodyguard Salman acted with Bollywood’s No. 1 heroine Kareena. Same result each time!
If you go watch all of Salman’s scenes or songs with his costars you’ll notice that Salman is acting all by himself. Salman struts around so much that every love song is a serenade to himself. Every fight is all about him outdoing himself. Every dialogue is in competition with his last movie to sound more dhaasu.

And in conclusion…

Now that I’ve been kind enough to reveal how Salman managed to become Bollywood’s biggest star all over again: tum mujh par ek ehsaan karna, ke mujh par koi ehsaan no karna! Please don’t try this formula at home. The world isn’t big enough for another Salman Khan.

Originally at http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/line-of-sight/entry/how-to-be-a-superstar-again-like-salman-khan

Diverse Cultures in India

Scenario 1
Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes along, sees them and walks on.
That’s MUMBAI !

Scenario 2
Two guys are fighting. Both of them take time out and call their friends on
their mobiles. Now 50 guys are fighting.
You are definitely in PUNJAB !

Scenario 3
Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes along and tries to make peace.
The first two get together and beat him up.
That’s DELHI !

Scenario 4
Two guys are fighting. A crowd gathers to watch.
A guy comes along and quietly opens a Chai-stall.
That’s AHMEDABAD !

Scenario 5
Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes.
He writes a software program to stop the fight.
But the fight doesn’t stop because of a virus in the program.
That’s BANGALORE !

Scenario 6
Two guys are fighting. A crowd gathers to watch.
A guy comes along and quietly says that “AMMA” doesn’t like all this nonsense..
Peace settles in…
That’s CHENNAI !

Scenario 7
Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes along, then a fourth
and they start arguing about who’s right.
You are in KOLKATA !

Scenario 8
Two guys are fighting. Third guy comes from nearby house and says,
“don’t fight in front of my place, go sum where else and keep fighting”.
That’s KERALA !

Scenario 9
Two guys are fighting. Third guy comes along with a carton of beer.
All sit together drinking beer and abusing each other and all go home as friends.
You are in GOA !