If there is one thing I dislike the most in this world, it is fake people. I honestly can't handle any of the games they play. The best thing to do when someone starts being that way is to cut them out of your life, I learned that the hard way. Sometimes it can be extremely difficult, especially when you have made so many good memories with that person. Part of you doesn't want to let go of the relationship you had with that person before you discovered the toxicity of it. But if you are constantly unhappy and feel like being friends with that person is more of a burden than it is a relationship, it needs to be ended.

Find friends who don’t play games and respect your decisions, but also know when to give you advice on how to make better ones. Sometimes you’re going to hate what they have to say, but at the end of the day you know they just want what’s best for you. Find friends who aren’t overly selfish, and don’t care about helping you out with something simply because they’re your friend, with no ulterior motives. In all relationships, respect needs to be mutual, there’s no way around it honestly. When it comes to relationships and friendships, respect can’t just turn into a one way street. Every aspect of your relationship with that person should work both ways, especially with trust, honesty and respect.

After having to weed out so many friends over the past twenty years, I have finally set my boundaries and standards of what I believe is a true friend. I now know the type of person that will benefit my life positively, not negatively. If you don’t want to constantly feel like crap about yourself and your friendship with someone, start to evaluate what is wrong with that relationship and if that person is willing to change their actions and way of being for you, or if you should just let them go. I know a lot of people are going to think I am crazy for saying to not try and work things out, but sometimes it is your only choice. Most of the time the other person who is bringing you down is just that way naturally; they will never change because they’re stubborn.

All I can say is that I am thankful for raising my friendship and relationship standards. I am not constantly caught up in another person’s drama or reasons why they don’t want to be a good friend. I am finally starting to feel more free and I am able to express myself and who I am even more because I don’t have any negativity holding me back. Trust me, let go of the weight of people in your life that have no positive essence, and you will feel like you can breathe a thousand times better.