Sometimes it's The People Closest to You

As I grow older my intuition gets sharper. It probably also helps that I've come to know the signs of a bad friend faster. I remember my first time experiencing someone who was a bad friend back in elementary school. I didn't understand why they acted the way they did. Then I would come to experience this again in high school. This time I had my mother to guide me through why this friend acted the way they did. Parents always know who is a quality friend and who isn't.

As I try to cultivate a small inner circle of friends I can trust, over the past year I have found that some friends are true friends while others are not. I am so grateful for all of the experiences I have been able to have since my friendship breakup and partner breakup from last year. As those doors closed, so many more opened. I've gained so many beautiful friendships with so many strong and inspiring women. Travel and perhaps some invisible strings have brought all the right people across my path in my journey to forge new friendships. Although I've known many of these new women for only less than a year I can see myself inviting many to my future wedding.

Along with these beautiful new beginnings though, I've noticed that it is once again time to set boundaries with certain energies. As you level up in life, it is totally normal to see friends who you thought were great friends show their true colors. Jealousy starts to bubble up to the surface through insecure remarks, belittling, and untrustworthy actions.

In the past this kind of behavior would have confused me. I would be hurt and wondering "Why is my friend being mean to me?" Now as I've grown older I realize it's just jealousy and as you level up in life some people cannot handle it. They cannot fathom cheering you on because they feel like they're going to be left behind. Instead they try to drag you down to their level. You cannot let them. Set boundaries and close that door if you need to. Eventually the door will close on its own if you cannot do it yourself.

When I was younger I would break free of these people in harsh ways. I would cut them off and maybe this would cause drama. It caused more pain than was necessary. Now I see the importance of gently removing people from your life. Send them on their way with light and love. Maybe someday they'll mature and can cross your path again. And if not, you can remember them fondly for the memories you do share as they helped you during periods of growth. That is the beautiful thing here, letting go of friends can be sad but it means you have grown and continue to desire growth. Growing pains hurt but are necessary to achieve your fullest potential.