Are your friends worth keeping or are they doing nothing but bringing you down?

Over the years, I have made friends and eliminated others. Some of them eliminated themselves, actually. I wasn’t always a bubbly person. Surprising, I know. But, I used to be negative and think everyone was out to get me and that the world was a harsh and unfair place. And I hung around people who felt the same way. Eventually, I got tired of feeling that way and began changing my outlook on the world. My friends were not having that. They didn’t want to see the opportunities only the never-ending problems so eventually we drifted apart.

Now, I don’t think any less of them or wish them ill. It’s just that I’ve outgrown them. And, if you are in a similar situation, you shouldn’t feel guilty about that. As you get older, you will find that you and your friends are not moving in the same direction. You may be at a point where you are not interested in partying and drinking but they are. You are looking to explore new things and grow personally.  And, that doesn’t mean one of you is wrong or right, you are just at different stages in your life.

Talk before you walk

Unless your friend is toxic, doesn’t support your dreams, and is not moving forward in their life, I believe the friendship can be saved. I am a strong believer in trying to work out and talk about how you both changed before you decide to quit a friendship. A friendship is just like any other type of relationship. It requires communication and understanding.

If you are thinking your friendships are not what they used to be then I encourage you to discuss it with them first. They may be feeling the same way. If you care, you owe it to the friendship to talk about any differences or changes. If you are feeling that you can’t discuss it with your friend, then what does that say about your friendship?

If you find, like I did, that your friend doesn’t see anything wrong or is unwilling to work on the friendship or you just plain don’t like the person they have become, then I say drop’em. Slowly but surely. I’m not saying you need to cut them off immediately because this person has been in you life for a long time. You just slowly faze them out. Don’t call them as much, start hanging out with other friends.

What experience have you had with breaking up with friends?