Category: Basic Training

Most good friends support and encourage each other when one of them goes through rough patches in life, such as a divorce, health concerns, job changes, or financial troubles. They may even say, ” I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.” But adding the personal and sincere act of praying with each other for support and encouragement is one more trait that differentiates between good friends and the type of friendship that every man needs, what I call a GodBuddy. Men Need Support and Encouragement Ask someone for the definition of encouragement, and you’ll likely get something like “the act of giving individual support used as motivation.” Encouragement is motivation that helps pull us up after a setback. It helps us face criticism from our boss, challenges at home, or from the coaches and teachers at school. Generally speaking, most men thrive through positive motivation and encouragement rather than

Hopefully, by now, you realize there is a difference between good friends and the deeper, more authentic friendships that I believe every man needs, which I call a GodBuddy. As I continue to make my case for The Year for Better Male Friendships, I’m using excerpts from my book, Get Out of Your Man Cave: The Crisis of Male Friendships, to differentiate between good friends and GodBuddies. This next post covers the traits of patience and kindness, which we need when friends let us down or we encounter difficulty in any relationship. Practicing these traits will show that your friendship is reaching a level of maturity that many males may never achieve.  Traits that Transform Friendships Throughout this subset of posts, I’ve described several traits of male friendships. Most start by Finding Commonality and Building Chemistry. As we spend more time together, we become acquaintances. As we get to know

Have you ever been disappointed by a friend? Did they not show up (for the third straight time!) for your bowling or golf match? Are you still waiting for the information he promised weeks ago? Do you have a friend you can count on? The next set of traits of a good friendship is about being loyal and dependable. This post describes the difference between these two traits and how they help you become a better friend because every man needs that “2:00 am friend,” regardless of whether your friendship is that of a GodBuddy or not.  Traits that Transform Friendships As I make my case for 2025 as The Year for Better Male Friendships, I’ve been using excerpts from my book, Get Out of Your Man Cave: The Crisis of Male Friendships, about the traits that turn a good friendship into a deeper, more authentic friendship that I call