Can you spot a true friend? Do your friends complicate your life more than benefit it? Read on to learn more. Life is full of lessons, and one painful one that most of us have encountered at some point in our lives, is that of a need to define the bounds of friendship. It can be painful because in defining the parameters of friendship, many of us have come to the realization that we have been “friends” with people who do not have the same beliefs regarding it as we do. That means we have been left feeling hurt and betrayed.
Friendship is a relationship built on trust, loyalty and understanding of each other’s needs. It should not based on greed, guilt or deceit, and yet many of us have had friendships with people only to discover that the person never really had our best interest at heart. To them friendships are formed based on what they can get from another person, as they live their life using people for their own means. Some examples of this are: friends who need a drinking buddy so they pressure you to be it, knowing your weakness is alcohol. You may find yourself only being called or asked to go out when that friend wants to drink. Another type of friendship is a friend who has a life partner and possibly a child, and they’re looking for either free babysitting and/or they like that you are single and available to be their “go to” friend when things need done. You may find yourself constantly being asked to “help” with things like home décor or renovation, shopping, cooking or various other chores that they ask you to help with because they don’t seem to have the time for, or you are "good": at. At first this type of friendship may seem okay to you, after all helping out friends is important. The problem occurs if that help is hardly ever or never reciprocated back to you. To test this theory, ask yourself, are they suddenly and consistently unavailable to help when you need it? How about when you meet someone? Do they act jealous or try to sabotage your love life? These types of “friends” don’t want you to have a life outside of theirs because then you won’t be available to them when they need you. So what defines a true friend then? A true friend is someone who is there for you when you need them, and reciprocates that back to you. An example of this is being able to call you at 2am because something major has happened to them and they need to talk to you. If this happens every once in a while and you know that you can call them at 2am if you needed to as well, this type of situation is okay. Now, if the 2am phone call happens every weekend because they are drunk and need a lift home, then that is a problem. True friends will call you to ask about you and your life. They have an interest in who you are, those you love, and what you are doing. They also don’t try to push you to do things you don’t want to such as drinking, drugs or to be in situations that you don’t want to be in. They also don’t have an expectation that they will get something from you all the time. They are happy to be around you without strings attached. So what kind of friends do you have? Are they complimenting your lifestyle or creating negativity in your world?
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Do you know what the 3 most important questions to ask when buying a used car are? Continue reading to find out more. While the smell of a brand spanking new car is irresistible, not everyone can afford one. If you can’t, the options available to you are clear; get a bicycle, take public transit or walk. If none of those options are viable, your other choice is to purchase a used vehicle. To many, the sound of that sends shivers down your spine and not in a good way. I’m here to tell you that your instincts are not wrong – for the most part. There are so many used car dealers that give the industry a bad name. Typically, dealers buy their cars at dealer-only auctions. What is important is what they do to these cars from the time they purchase them until the time they are sold. There is no secret that mileage decreases the value of a vehicle. If an unscrupulous dealer spins back the odometer, he can potentially double his profit and unfortunately this crime still occurs. The other most common faux pas is that they will sell a car with the knowledge that it has a major hidden problem. Too many dealers will purchase a car from the auction, wash it, take pictures of it and advertise it for sale. No inspection and no repairs are done. If the potential buyer doesn’t notice anything or isn’t very knowledgeable, the dealer has just made a tidy profit without having to incur any additional expenses. The buyer will be the loser if there are problems with the car. By now, you’re probably asking yourself if it’s even worth considering a pre-owned purchase. The answer is a thundering yes. The key is protecting yourself from buying a lemon. What can you do about it? The following are the three most important questions you can ask when looking to buy a used car: 1. Do you mind if I have my mechanic inspect it? If the dealer tells you that he’s too busy or that his insurance does not allow the vehicle to leave his lot unless it’s sold, or anything else of that nature, back out right away because he knows something that he doesn’t want your mechanic to find out. 2. Do you have a list of the repairs done to it prior to sale, and the bills to back it up? If he gives you a story about paying his mechanic cash under the table for parts and labour and therefore has no receipts, chances are it’s because he hasn’t done anything to the car. 3. Do you offer extended warranties? All licensed dealers have access to extended warranties if they are licensed and in good standing. If they can’t offer one, it’s usually because they have tried to “beat the system” by selling cars with major hidden vices, relying on the warranty companies to fix their problems, and have since been banned. Try: When shopping for a used car, talk to someone who is knowledgeable about pre-owned vehicles, if you are feeling unsure about a given prospect. If the dealer seems shady or evasive, he’s probably not honest. Move on to the next one. ~Joel Salzman |