Friends

Friends influence us so much. We tend to listen more to friends than we would normally family. For example, when your brother says something is cool and your best friend says something is cool, they're completely different things. "Choose your friends wisely" isn't a cliché for nothing.

Look at the friends you have now. Are they the kind you can picture having for the rest of your life? The friends you have now should be friends you want to have in the long run.

It would be a lot less stressful to have no friends at all than to have bad friends. Better to be a loner than be pressured into ugly things by "friends," or have friends you hate. Don't be led awry by people who are ugly inside without good values.

Some ways to know if you've got good friends:

• Do you enjoy listening to them?

• They don't make you feel like she/he would rather be somewhere else when you're talking to them.

• Do you know they will stick up for you and stand by you if you ever need it?

• Do they cheer you up when you're sad?

• Do they give you painfully honest, loving advice?

• Are they trustworthy?

• They don't ever pressure you to drink or smoke, and they don't make you feel bad when you don't want to do something.