It seems that the older I get, the more I realize that it is not about the quantity of friends you have, but instead the quality. I have lost a lot of friends since I moved to college simply because they weren’t loyal to me in the same way I was to them. Not to sound like some narcissistic a*$hole when I say this, but my loyalty is earned, never given out for free.

I have done everything and more for the people I call, or in this case, used to call friends. From posting bail to sending flowers to their mother who I barely knew because she was going through a hard time. I have spent more money, time, and thought on my so-called friends than any one of them bothered to spend on me.

Maybe I’m an over achiever, but I believe that loyalty is above all, the number one key to a successful friendship, relationship, or any ship. It also has to be mutual, just as Harvey Specter from suits says: “Loyalty is a two way street, if I’m asking it from you, then you’re getting it from me.”

So what do you do when you are in some kind of “ship” where it seems you’re always making the call, you’re always the one going out of your way, and you’re always the one apologizing? You leave. Simple as that.

This may seem over the top and brash, but just because someone is a crappy friend doesn’t mean you have to completely erase them. I do however believe it’s the best way to filter out the quantity in your life and start finding the quality.

Being in a “ship” where you’re always the one returning loyalty, when your friend gives you nothing in return, is ridiculous and an unnecessary stress in your life. These toxic relationships do nothing but act as an anchor that’s holding you back because real friends see your value, and strive to make you better by giving you all they have in return for you doing the same.

By jumping the toxic ship, you will find that the people who are meant to be in your life will find their way to you, and they will be the ones who help you develop into the person you want to be. When you continue to indulge in relationships and friendships that are toxic, you may not realize the person you were meant to become is starting to slowly disappear, and you quickly become more like the people you surround yourself with.

The problem with jumping ship is that it's hard. I know it because I've done it too many times. Even recently, in the past two months I've probably cut off five people from my life. And to clarify, by cutting off, I mean completely cut off: No Facebook, phone calls, texts or anything of that nature. Harsh? Maybe. Necessary? Absolutely.

Emotionally this is an extremely hard choice because like many people, I want to be social with my friends and I want to have a lot of them, but as I’ve said before, I’m looking for quality, not quantity.

The friends I haven’t jumped ship with however, are some of the best you could imagine having. Everyday they push me to become a better version of myself by believing in me, and reinforcing the thought that no dream is too big. Most importantly, they accept me for who and what I am.

So long story short, next time you’re in a situation with a friend where it just seems like a routine of you always putting in all your effort, and not seeing any in return, jump ship.

Aim to find the friends who see the perfection in you. You’ll never be 100% perfect, but hey! Neither will anyone else. Welcome to the club! There are about seven billion of us!