To all my "friends," I say thank you. Thank you for walking out of my life because you've taught me that I'm a better person. You've taught me that I can survive the heartbreaks and the mistakes. I'm glad that it took knowing so many fake people to realize how great of a person I am.

I always grew up thinking that everything was my fault. Naturally, as an only child for so long, everything is your fault, since there's no one else to blame it on. Therefore, whenever anything had happened in my life, I automatically blamed myself. Parents splitting up, my fault. Friends leaving my life, my fault. Everything was always my fault in my mind. I had no way of changing the fate of anything, and I was upset about it.

As I've gotten older, and more wise, I've realized that none of those things were really my fault at all. I realized that I have to stop blaming myself for everything that goes on in my life. The negativity helps no one, not even myself. So, I started to change my ways. Instead of thinking "oh so and so doesn't want to be my friend anymore, it must be something I did," I started to think to myself "they missed out on a great person. Their loss." As I began to start having this mindset and mentality, I was getting a lot more positive. I was done dealing with the bull crap. I was done having people put me down and making me feel like crap about myself.

As I changed my mentality, I started to realize who was really there for me and who wasn't. I started to find my true friendships, and my completely fake ones too. I kept my newly found information under the table as I enjoy just letting life take it's course, and little did I know, it all turned out to be true. Every friend that I thought was fake found a reason to leave my life, and I happily opened the metaphorical door for them. I was done being kicked around and drug across the ground for people who didn't even care about me. Those "friends" that would talk about me as soon as I'd turn around. Those "friends" that would stab you in the back as soon as they had the chance. Those "friends" that were never really there for you. Those "friends" that aren't really your friends.

It's honestly so much easier to figure all of this out by the time you get to college. College is where you find your real friendships, your real relationships, and your real self. Being mature for my age also had a huge role in this because it's easier to make important decisions.

I hope that it becomes easier to figure out who your "friends" are so you can weed them out as well. It makes you a better person because no one is treating you like crap anymore. Just be happy with yourself and find out who is really there for you in the end.