If you feel negative about a friendship, it’s best to end it.

     The truth is that one of the most painful things in a friendship is best to know when to end it. The sad truth is that often in my life I have chosen to keep toxic friendships around me, then to get more personal well-being. That’s largely because of my insecurities that made me afraid that if I were to end one friendship I could never gain another. I had that situation occur to me last quarter with my friend group.      

          Originally, I wanted nothing more than to be a part of my friend group, and it seemed like it was headed in that direction. We had decorated our room the way we wanted, and we used to get dinner as often as we could. However, things started to change when my friends started to say racist things and were downright disrespectful to me by insulting me. Now, I recognized that they were behaving in a certain way that wasn’t healthy, however, I forced myself to be friends with them because I felt like I had no one. However, after talking with some of my friends back home, it felt necessary to end it.    

       I never explicitly told them, that I wanted to not be friends with them, I gradually just distanced myself. Eventually, I started to feel happier and my self-esteem became much higher. By distancing myself from my friends it made me a more confident person. I also realized that I didn’t need another person’s validation and that I was strong enough on my own.

Personal Goal: Try to advocate your feelings by finding one friend you can tell these feelings too. Just one and see how that helps you.

And always remember….

“Bravery is leaving a toxic relationship and knowing that you deserve better.”- Tiny Buddha