Giving practical help when asked should be the price of the ticket into the human family. If we all paid our due, we’d be on our way to creating a sustainable society fully capable of taking care of itself.

The quickest route to feeling wonderful is to help someone else. The moment you shift the focus away from yourself and toward another person, you’re back in balance. No matter how difficult the circumstances in your own life might be, reaching out to a friend will nurture feelings of being valuable and needed—and that simply feels good.

  Here’s what a perfect friend-coach looks like: One who listens to exactly what you’re saying. A person with the ability to place his or her personal issues aside to focus on you. Someone who thinks creatively and is open to talking through issues. A compassionate, but active friend who wants you to succeed – [...]