• Be yourself. You need to just be who you are, don't try and change yourself for others. Everyone is different and that is what makes friendships so much better. Have confidence in yourself and don't let your friends destroy your self esteem. If they do this, move onto another group of friends that accepts you for who you are.
• Be honest. Liars never prosper. No one wants to be friends with a liar, they cannot trust them. Be there for your friends during times when they need you and don't share their secrets with others.
• Communicate. How can you strengthen your bond with your friends if you never call them? When you are losing one of your best friends, the best thing you can do is continue to call them and send them emails to let them know you care about them. This may be the lifeline they need to come back to reality.
• Confidence. To be a good friend, you need to have confidence in yourself. When you are confident, it will radiate to others and everyone will strive to be around you.

Everything in our lives is in a constant state of change including our likes, dislikes, ideas and perceptions of the world. So it should come as no surprise that as your thoughts change, so do your friends and sometimes through this personal transformation friends move in different directions.

Sometimes the changes that happen with our friends can take on a negative or harmful path. Suddenly your best friend stars doing things that you were both against in the past and makes choices you don't agree with. You may be concerned about the path they're heading down and how to let them know your concerns without pushing her even further away.

You may choose not to do anything at all and let your friendship take its natural course without getting involved in something you aren't comfortable with, but if you're concerned about your friend's well being or safety, talking to her about the situation in a supportive and positive way is an option. If you choose the path of communication, using your friendship and all your memories together as a foundation for the discussion is a great spring board for the difficult heart to heart talk.

Avoid putting your friend on the defensive or catching her at the wrong time for a conversation of this magnitude. Instead, let her know how much you care and that you are worried and want to talk. Let her choose the time to talk so she feels empowered in the situation. The message you want to share is one of support and concern, not judgment or disappointment. Make sure they know they can come to you no matter what happens and that you will always be there for them.

All relationships face challenges, and friendships are no different. Finding common ground to work from, being positive and open to the changing needs in a relationship are important to the longevity and the bonds between friends. In the end, you can't control the decisions your friend makes but you can choose your own path and whether the friendship is worth saving or letting go in order to keep a sense of self for you.