A conversation has three parts, the approach, the actual conversation, and the departure. Now, why is conversation very important? Not only is conversation the only way for us to be able to relay a certain message from one person to another, it is also a very basic human skill which since we were a kid, we have been taught to learn. First of all, kids usually have problems communicating because of the limited vocabulary around them. You only use the certain words that were taught to you and to present a thought that you can’t directly put into words. Because of the lack of vocabulary, you find other ways to present that thought and that is where complication comes in. Well, basically you wouldn’t be able to understand someone if you weren’t able to communicate properly.

Now let’s go back to conversation. Communication can be thought of as just one person relaying a certain message while conversation on the other hand is an exchange of messages. It is an exchange of ideas, it is an exchange of thoughts, and it is exchange of material and that is something we should work on because it is very important to receive information as well. Conversation is used in our everyday lives. The way we treat people, the way we say hi, the way we ask how their day is, the way we ask certain questions, the way we talk to our friends, the way we talk to our family members and more.

Conversation can be really tricky nowadays. Misunderstanding is the cause of a lot of fights and sticky situations. Conversation could involve the tone of your voice, the words you choose to use, the way you dress, and many other different variables. There are approaches for different conversations. In business, the approach of the conversation is way different than meeting somebody randomly at a certain social gathering. The approach is different in the way you talk to your parents, the way you talk to your spouse, or even the way you talk to your kids. Conversation has a lot of levels and a lot of depth into it. Ending the conversation can be really tricky not because of the words used, but because of the thought that that specific person wants to communicate over to you. The bottom line is patience is important.

The approach of the conversation may differ. There are times when you need to be more aggressive and there are also times when you need to be passive. misusing these approaches may result in devastating outcomes. Sometimes people take offense when you become too aggressive when the conversation is supposed to be casual. This the first thing you must learn the perfect your approach.

Sometimes to be able to build a connection with people, you have to get on their good side. Getting on someone’s good side means doing or saying certain things that would definitely catch their attention in a good way. It may be hard to figure out what people like to hear but the moment you do, but once you do, you’ll be able to build a really good connection.

Here are a few things people like to hear:

1. Compliments
The key to compliments is knowing when to use them. Sometimes the misuse of compliments may result to negative reactions. Knowing when to use a compliment can be very hard to do but once you nail a good compliment, you’ll land on the good side of that person. Compliments that come off too aggressive might seem a little too much and throwing out a compliment at the wrong time may result in a negative reaction. Sliding a compliment at the perfect time could definitely create more attraction between you and whoever you are talking to.

2. Humor
Humor is important in most conversations, it is a great way to ease the tension and build a great impression. The tricky part about humor is people have different tastes in humor and there are some jokes that may seem fine for some but are actually offensive for others. Humor has different elements and to adjust your humor to the taste of who you’re talking to is a great way to connect with them. Besides, when people laugh or smile at what you said, they will automatically feel more comfortable around you.

3. Relatable topics
This is something that is obviously important in every conversation. Without being able to talk about something both you and the person you talking to can relate to, the conversation would be very plain and boring. Sometimes we just can’t help it. Sometimes there is just nothing both people can relate to, this is when you start learning about each other. This happens after people find a common ground or platform where they can finally talk about in a very comfortable manner.

People are very different and this could definitely lead to things becoming more complicated for them to get along. But as soon as you learn how to talk to people even when you can’t relate with them, you’ll then learn how to strike a good conversation with just about everyone. People are meant to be around other people. Let’s face it, we probably wouldn’t survive being alone. We need people to talk to every once in a while no matter how used you are to being alone. Learn how to talk to people, it’s something we should all do.

Friends… They say it is the family we choose for ourselves. The family that though we may not share the same blood, but the family that beats the same heart. They are the people you can lean on in times of distress – the ones you will share some of the best and even worsts moments in your life.

Friendship is a gift – a wonderful kind that stay and lasts your whole life. In our life, we meet a lot of people, some of them stays for a bit and then leaves, while some stays forever, and usually they are the ones we thought would never stay. Isn’t it nice to look into our lives and see the people who sticks around us whenever we are up and we are down? To help you, here are the five kinds of friends you will meet or have in your life;

1. Not just a friend – but a best friend!

The best among them all! We all have the friend who we feel as if they are our brothers or sisters from another mother. They are usually what we refer as our best friend. They are the kind of friend where you can totally be you and share everything that you want – may it be your frustrations, your biggest dream, your scariest nightmare, or your farthest dreams!

They are the ones you can tell all. They know you for who you truly are and you also know them exactly the way they know you. You treat each other like sisters or brothers because they are not just mere friends to you but you see them as your extended family, one you can always depend on.

2. The crazy friend who will bring sunshine into your life

She’s your source of positivity. This is the kind of friend where you expect nothing from him or her but all fun and happiness. They are as if the ambassador of joyfulness because when you are around them, you can totally have fun with basically everything! They are your bundles of joy. They are always there to cheer you up. It is the kind of friend where you get most motivation and encouragement all the time. They tend to be more of a light side than make you feel burdened.

3. I’m-your-other-mother kind of friend

This is the kind of friend that gives you advices for free! Just like what our mothers usually do. They try to be the realist in terms of everything – they don’t pamper you with good things but they give you the glimpse of life as the reality it is. They tend to remind you of the basic do’s and don’ts in your life.

They are somehow the best kind of friend you could ever have because they may hit you hard – at least you know for a fact that they are just too emotionally connected to you that they care. It is the best feeling to have friends like this – and usually they are your mama’s favorite!

4. The one who only appears on rare events

They are the kind of friends who appears occasionally. These are the ones you don’t get to spend most of the time, maybe because it is of the distance or the difficult schedules you and your friend have. They are not usually around in most occasions and events in your life – they are the ones who always bailed out in every event. But they are still your friend because you understand that though they are not around at all times, you know you can talk to them whenever you need someone to talk too or the other way around. It is still nice to keep friends like this.

5. The walking rain cloud kind of friend

The one with exploding negativity! If we have the all-out positivity- kind of friend, we also have that one friend who makes us realize all the dark sides of every aspect in the issues of our lives. They are the ones who usually reminds us of the negative and bad consequences that might happen to us when we do certain things.

They also have this power to convince us that things aren’t that happy at all and that at certain point in our lives, we will have to cry and be hurt and be broken inside. They don’t pamper us too much with satisfying words, but gives us the glimpse of the dark side of the reality which helps us become more ready for the things ahead. Friends like this are for keeps!