Ladies: do you have a best friend or a few girlfriends? Do you ever say, I need a new friend?.

Imagine having someone to call at any time of the day to talk out an issue you're having. Imagine having a friend to call when you are excited or have something great happen. Imagine the phone ringing and having your best friend just ask you how your day was or how your relationships are or how work is going. Someone who truly really cares!  Wouldn’t it be great to have that person who has your back? Someone who is not your partner, but someone that is a true and forever friend.

But how do I make friends as an adult? What if you are a young mother? What if you are immersed with teens? What if you are an empty nester. Want to know how to make friends of any age at any age? Want to know how to make new friends over 50 years old?

For me, friends have blessed my life in more ways than I can share. I have had so many ups and downs in my life. I have had a handful of girlfriends through it all that have stood by me, but also who have called me on my crap. They tell me point blank, hey girlfriend you need to stop that, or girl you need to start doing this or that. Had two friends last year that took me to lunch and said, “Girlfriend, you are losing yourself. We want you to know that we will love you if you lose your self, but just know that you are. We would like to see Darlene come back” Ya, that got me thinking.

I get that having girlfriends or guys having close buddies is not always normal, natural or easy for many people. It comes more easily to some, and others need to work on it with some focus and skill. As I notice what I do to gain and keep friends,  I have stepped back and taken notes for you on my process and how I do it.  I have come up with  5 great ideas on how to find a new girlfriend if you move to a new area or if you realize having a girlfriend would fix your life. Yep, it will!

Certainly, having girlfriends is not overrated, ladies. And men wanting buddies to hang with, play ball with or camp. One of the greatest blessing in our lives can be the authentic, unconditional love and support from like-minded girlfriends/ guy.

But how do you make and keep friends  girlfriend if you just moved to a new area?

Note this: No matter your personality, no matter your style or vibe, no matter your religion or your energy level and passions, there will always be girlfriends within arm’s reach.

Here’s how.

Today the world is small with social media and technology. This will make the following steps easy.

Let's say you move to a new area and do not know anyone.

1  Make a list of friends you’ve had in the past that you liked, keep thinking until you have maybe 5 to 10. Go years back, maybe grade school.

2. Call two people on this list. When they answer the phone just say “Hey, this is so and so, a blast from the past! Haha, I don’t know why but for some reason you just crossed your mind and I just wanted to touch base and say how the heck are you?” The conversation will go easily from there. Or of course, you can reach out to them on Social Media. “Hey, we need to catch up. Let’s grab coffee sometime.” I actually just did this with a grade school friend.
3. Start using the following verbiage, not only with the people on your list but people you might meet at Starbucks, or your sister-in-law‘s friend, or your daughter's mother-in-law. Here’s the verbiage: “Hey we need to go to lunch sometime and catch up. Let’s grab a Coke sometime, I go walking on Wednesdays you should come with me sometime, I’m in the mood for Mexican food, any chance you’re open next week? Or maybe lunch. We have a lot we could talk about!” and the classic “OK bye, call me.” With your hand up to your ear like a phone.

When saying goodbye to someone that’s a common phrase “OK bye call.” It’s kind of like saying “How are you?” which is just a social greeting, “Call me.” can be a social goodbye but it opens the door for your new friendship.

4. Each morning say to yourself, I’m going to meet girlfriends today. This causes you to be open, and we always find what we’re looking for. For sure, there are women everywhere around you who are craving a girlfriend!! You just need to open the door, and Bam. The trick here is to be picky about your girlfriends. When I meet a new friend I tease about the fact that when we meet for coffee I’m dating my girlfriends, to see which ones I like. Not to discriminate but rather to sort for who enhances my life and I can enhance theirs, where we have the same sameness and or vibrational energy, the same beliefs, and the same energy.

Following through on the relationships is the key here. And making friendship a priority. We all create our lives, and we are where were are choosing to be, with the situations that surround us, when you make friendships a very high priority you will be amazed at the women who come out of the woodwork who are craving girl time, girl talk, girl association, girl power together!!

5. Another GREAT way to make friends is to look up www.meetup.com search your area and u will find a plethora of meet up groups. You can sign up for those that interest you. You will get an email alert when they have an event, and you can go to it or just sit back and watch what events they keep posting. The go when you are ready. They have hiking, dancing, singles, married, dog walking, basket weaving, hiking groups and more!!!

One of my very best friends in all the world happened just that way. I put on a post on a meetup group, “I’m new in the area and I want to get out of the house anybody want to meet for dinner“. Well, Andie Blair replied back “Sure” We met at a Mexican restaurant just like that. I saw a beautiful Latino woman and said are you, Andie? I sat across for from her and we literally talked for two hours. We had families in common and fun ideas in common but she didn’t like Exercise and I’m an exercise freak, I’m musical, she’s more technical with Computers. Very different interests but all in all, she became my roommate for two years and we started a singles group together online- a meetup, Group. The group grew from a few of us to 750 people! She is now my forever dear friend. We keep in touch over social media and an occasional phone call. But at any moment she’s there for me and I’m there for her.

Remember if u ignore a relationship it will die or dissolve, so nurture your connections.

Follow these guidelines, and you will gather your girlfriends...as many as you choose.

Thanks for listening!  If you enjoyed today's episode I would be grateful if you would leave me a quick review and rating on iTunes (click here) so I have feedback!  Also, subscribe if you haven't already so you can be alerted when a new episode comes out.  That would mean the world to me, thank you so much!

If you want the episode show notes and a full transcript go to www.whatstopsyou.com

I would Love to hear your comments on todays topic!  How this information has helped you?

Talk soon Dar-lings!