They say that you will find your lifelong friends in college. Well, sometimes that isn’t true. You might think you’ve found the right friends until something happens that opens your mind to the negative side of friendships. You become aware of some of the signs and they become hard to ignore. It’s important to always choose your friends wisely. Look for valuable friendships where you both gain something throughout the process. For me, as an introvert, my energy is easily drained and I need a break from pretty much all types of communication after a while. The one thing I take extremely serious would be the people I call my friends. I believe that I have the final say so when it comes to who I allow in my social circle and whether I allow them to drain me of my energy. I believe that those who I call friends shouldn’t drain me and I should always feel like being around them.
It’s important to know when to make the decision to step back from a friendship and move on without that person in your life. We don’t always need a reason to end a friendship. Friendships are like relationships: When it’s over, it’s over. You just know. As the controller of our own universe we have power over all things. When it comes to situations where we feel emotionally and socially drained or distraught, it is time to say no. It is time to put a stop to the surge of negativity. Negative people have no place in the lives of those who are just busy living for themselves. It is not selfish to live for yourself when that’s the reason we were placed here in the first place.
Here’s a bit of advice for those who struggle with valuable friendships:
- Put yourself first.
- Look for like minded people. Having things in common is necessary in friendships. Maybe you’re both into politics or you both play a sport.
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Don’t be afraid to end a friendship when you feel like your time is being wasted.