This past year I was in trapped in an uncomfortable controversy. I was forced to choose between a blossoming friendship and a multitude of friends telling me to take caution. There were two sides of the story—both from several people that I held close to my heart. This newly rooted friendship possessed intrigue and evident interest. Needless to say, I wanted it to last. On the other hand, I had sensible friends feeding me unwanted information—warning me about the possible dangers this friendship could entail. In many cases, you can negotiate to solve a dispute and both parties can live in harmony. But this was different. Despite which option I chose, I was guaranteed to lose somebody. Time lingered on, and soon I had to take action. The evidence kept piling up. The lies kept accumulating. And the hurt continued—until one day it all became too much and I had to put an end to it.

So, how did I go about this decision? How did I choose between two parties of people I greatly admired? A wise woman once told me, “Your intuition is the best way out of a difficult situation.” And that’s exactly how I resolved this situation. My intuition.

Let’s rewind to where this all started. Throughout my freshman year of college, I endured an emotional roller coaster with a close friend (who will remain anonymous). It began with providing help out of pure desire to fix his current situation and revive his once-acquired happiness. But with time and countless hours spent together, it evolved into something more in which I needed clarity. What were we?

He slyly avoided this inevitable question with an abundant of ludicrous excuses. I had realized things had changed. I had provided help out the kindness of my heart, but what was I getting in return? With the right words said and a hopeful mindset that I have always possessed, I naturally fell into a manipulative trap with countless lies and fabrications. My head started to spin with utmost confusion. What was I doing wrong? Why was he lying? It was not until the end of the school year that I had begun to realize the naivety of my previous conceptions—thanks to several outside sources providing me with the unbearable truth. Although I did not want to believe these convictions, a part of me knew this was the truth. I had always known it.

But despite my intuition frantically waving these red flags with each told lie, I never allowed myself to believe the truth. I never distanced myself. I never restrained myself; merely because of this extreme hope I held so closely knit inside myself and untouchable to any outside force that attempted to destroy this once unique friendship.

Finally, after many trustworthy people confronted me with evidence, I finally opened my once blind eyes to reality. I finally allowed my intuition to be the only deciding factor in my decision to whether a. continue this toxic friendship orb. free myself from the negativity and sadness slowly invading my life. I grasped onto the wise woman’s words and gave myself the respect I deserved.

The truth is, from the first day I met this person, I had an uneasy gut feeling that made me question this person's integrity. It made me cringe when they spoke freely about principles I did not agree with. And it made me try even harder to change this person into the ideal friend that I could be one-day be able to trust. This intuitive feeling rooted itself inside myself for months. It never left, but it never made itself distinctly known to my conscience. It was almost like camouflage. It was physically there, but it was hidden so intricately that even the keenest humans could miss it.

This gut feeling is real and vital to our decision making. You won’t accept your fate at first, but you will know when something isn’t right. Listen to this sense of protection that is hidden inside all of us—before it’s too late.