To Healthy Friendships

DowntownSanJose-9

Since the beginning of 2016, I've reflected a lot on myself as an individual - from the goals I've accomplished in 2015 to what steps I could take to become a better version of myself this year. I couldn't be more grateful for all of the amazing friends I've met so far and all of the support I've received from loved ones. However, one natural course of life that I still have yet to get used to is the fact that friendships come and go. Typically, I like to cherish and nurture the friendships that I make, but not everybody thinks similarly (people lose interest, people move away, etc.). For today's blog post, I wanted to get a little personal with you all on the subject of friendships and how I've finally learned to be happy with the right crowd.

Let me reiterate a little bit about my past. I clung on to unhealthy and/or abusive friendships for two main reasons. One was because of the fact that I frowned upon the idea of dropping friends. The second revolved around my fear of hatred or disapproval from anybody.

Even when I knew that the friendships I shared with people were unhealthy, I continued to nurture these friendships out of fear. But let's be honest - not all relationships work out, and friendships are much like that too. Even if you put in the time, the love, and the effort, these actions may not be reciprocated by the other party and that's when you hit a roadblock in the friendship. You really need to take a step back and see if a friend is worth keeping by your side, especially if he/she will be long-term. Back then, I told myself that if I make a friend, I have to keep him/her as a friend no matter what - but this statement no longer applies to me this year. I've learned that the quantity (time or length) of a friendship does not matter at all if the quality (trust or support) isn't there. After experiencing a lot of unnecessary frustration, stress, and disrespect from certain people, I've grown to learn that not all friendships are supposed to be like this. Once I had gotten past this sudden realization and started meeting more supportive individuals who have helped me grow for the better, I am safe to say that I am a much happier individual these days.

Sometimes, being too nice has its consequences. I've had "friends" who put me down and ridiculed me in public to look better than me, "friends" who ruined my optimistic mood every single hangout by only addressing negative topics, and "friends" who only talked to me for a favor. In reality, I'd have to say that these weren't true friends at all. Especially in the blogging community, I've learned to accept the fact that you cannot befriend everybody and not everybody will like you. The reason I wrote this personal blog post is to encourage you all to hang out with the right crowd and to pick your friends wisely. Be kind to strangers, lend a helping hand to others when needed, but always be sure to surround yourself with the right kind of vibes. For me, that's hanging out with people who support my passion to become a full-time lifestyle blogger, people who respect my busy schedule, people who build me up with encouraging words, and people who don't ever stop caring about me. As a good friend, I would do the exact same for them. Also, one inspiring NYC creative named Jeanne Grey, aka the famous Grey Layers, continues to brighten my day with her motivational captions that relate to everyday life. Be sure to follow her on Instagram and Twitter because she seriously knows how to inspire people all day, every day.

Lastly, I wanted to dedicate this blog post to a very supportive friend and blogger that I've recently met named Thy. She is very supportive of my passion and does whatever she can to create the best content for me. If you haven't, you guys should totally follow her on Instagram because her fashion posts are definitely too cute to miss! :) I had such a great time shooting with Thy in Downtown San Jose and goofing off with her and her tripod!

Time is valuable these days. Spend it with the right people and life will feel a lot more enjoyable from here on out - trust me on this one. If you guys want to read more inspirational posts like this, please comment below your thoughts and I'll continue to write more!

DowntownSanJose-7