How I Made The Decision To Break Up With My Best Friend Of 17 Yrs To Find Myself

 

                    Photo by Anna Shvets: https://www.pexels.com/photo/interracial-women-lying-down-in-opposite-directions-on-pink-textile-4556791/       

I've been best friends with Nicole for seventeen years and some change.

We’ve practically grown into adults together. From drunken nights, bad decisions, breakups, bad vacations, and countless laughs, she was always there for me. 

We were inseparable.

But as we entered our late thirties, I began to feel like something was missing. 

Our friendship had become stagnant and routine. We were no longer growing together, but instead, just going through the motions.

I found myself constantly making excuses not to hang out with her. I would even dread seeing her name pop up on my phone because I knew it meant another night of doing the same old things. 

And while Nicole was still content with our friendship, I couldn't shake off this feeling of restlessness and unease.

It took a lot of self-reflection and tough conversations with myself before I finally made the decision to break up with my best friend.

It wasn't an easy decision, I carefully weighed the decision, but I knew in my heart that it was the right thing to do. And as hard as it was, I had to put myself first and prioritize my own happiness.

Breaking up with a friend is never easy. 

It's not like a romantic relationship where there's a clear end date and closure. With friendships, there's always that hope of reconciliation or rekindling what once was. But sometimes, for our own growth and well-being, we have to let go of certain relationships.

And while I may miss the good times we shared and the inside jokes only we understood, 

I know deep down that this was necessary for both of us to move forward. We were holding each other back from new experiences and opportunities by clinging onto the past.

It's important to remember that it's okay to outgrow friendships. We change and evolve as individuals, and sometimes those changes lead us in different directions than our friends. It doesn't mean that the friendship wasn't valuable or meaningful at one point in time. 

And who knows, maybe we'll cross paths again in the future and be able to pick up where we left off.

But for now, I have to trust my decision and focus on nurturing relationships that align with who I am now and who I want to become. 

Surrounding myself with people who support me, challenge me, and bring positivity into my life is crucial for my personal growth.

So while it may have been tough to say goodbye, I know that ultimately it's for the best. 

I can look back on our memories and cherish them but also look forward to creating new ones with people who are in a similar stage of life as me.

It's important to constantly evaluate the relationships in our lives and make sure they are positively serving us. 

And if we do outgrow certain friendships, it's okay to let go and move on. Trust that there are always new connections waiting to be made, and each one will bring its own unique value into your life. Embrace change and embrace the growth that comes with it. I promise it will only lead you to bigger and better things.