It’s Time to Declutter Your Friendships
A framework to help you choose the people you want in your life
Earlier this year, I wrote about how a friend said some hurtful things to me, and from the experience, I learned how to say no and set boundaries in order to extend kindness and compassion to myself.
It felt great to put up boundaries and get some space, but after said space and receiving an apology, I had another decision to make: how would I respond to the apology?
I could tell the apology came from a genuine place, and in the fashion of loving-kindness, I was ready to forgive and put it behind us.
But after reflecting with my therapist, I thought more broadly about the people we choose to keep in our lives and who we allow into our orbit. Our energy and attention are limited, so allowing people access to that is a privilege.
I not only questioned that specific friendship, but also friendships more broadly. What do we really have in common? What brings us together? What does friendship even mean, and do I want them in my life?
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized it takes time to maintain friendships and stay connected, so we need to be intentional about our circle. That incident led me to re-evaluate my social circle in general, and here’s why…
