How would you handle it if your best friend was going through a difficult time in his life and he came to you for help?  How can you provide the best words of encouragement to help him?  Many people will find it hard to believe that the first and best way to help a friend is to practice what I call active listening. You may accomplish this by listening carefully without interrupting your friend, and at the proper pause points, check for understanding by feeding back the pertinent information in the form of a question.  This approach will confirm your understanding of his situation. The other added value perspective you may use to offer w