My father is a retired colonel from the Army and thanks to his job profile, I have the privilege of staying in many different places. Changing schools, homes, cities and towns was a part of my growing up years. Thus, making new friends, came very easily to me. However, it was leaving my friends in a certain place, which was a bit difficult. I don't have a clear idea of when was the defining moment, however, all I can say from my experience is that, to find new friends is always easy, because someone out there is also looking for your valuable friendship. Accept the Situation The first step towards making new friends is to accept the fact that you need to meet new people. If you keep condoning your situation, then it's not going to get you anywhere. May be you've moved to a new place, a new neighborhood or you changed a job, whatever the situation is, staying alone is never an option. Thus accept your situation and strive to make a new friend. Mingle Around Socialize! Socialize! Socialize! This is the only formula of coming across people and making friends. Begin with a small change everyday. Talk to the person sitting next to you in office. Share your interests with your neighbor. Talking to the closest person to you (in physical proximity), will help you build confidence in yourself. This will give you an opportunity to discover new people. The Common Mistake The biggest mistake that most of us make, while looking to new friends, is that we look for same qualities which we liked in our old friends. As a friendly advice, no two people are the same. Hence, it's incorrect on your part of expect a new person (your friend to be) to have similar qualities like your old friends. By making this mistake of expecting the same, we begin to expect too much, and lose out on what we could have had. Join In If you like to dance, paint, play some sports, music or read, join their respective clubs. Joining a club help you come across a variety of people in a variety of situations. Clubs are great way to meet people, interact on regular basis, share common interests and know one another better. Joining a gym is also a great place to meet people, learn from them and have things to talk about. Get Together Initiate conversations, meet up with people, hang out at coffee shops or just go clubbing. Exchange your numbers, e-mail addresses and office numbers. This will help you keep in touch. Do crazy things with friends on weekends. This will help you bond stronger and strengthen your friendship. The essentials of making friends remain the same; it's done with honesty, integrity and openness to new thoughts and ideas. Leave all your worries about people making judgments and drawing conclusions aside and take a plunge to make friends forever!