Old friends are some of the most important things that will ever be in our lives. That said, this doesn’t mean we will keep the same friends forever, or that all our oldest friends will always be by our side. In fact, we can guarantee they won’t be! But this is no bad thing, no bad thing at all! Moving on from friendships has a host of benefits and is a natural part of growing up. Here are five reasons to look on the end of a friendship as a good thing.
1. You will get rid of toxic friendships
Not all old friendships are with good people. Sometimes due to circumstance we have got ourselves involved with people who seemed fun, friendly or a positive person to begin with but over time exposed themselves to be something completely different. Often because we are already in a friendship we continue to get dragged along with their negative behaviour and attitude. Therefore, losing old friendships like these is an absolutely great positive step forward.
2. It gives you space for new friends
While friendship isn’t something that is necessarily a scarce resource that has to be given out sparingly it is true that by moving on from friendships your social calendar opens up opportunities for new relationships. This is often true when you move city, or go to college, or start a new job, quite often a new group of friends will emerge who you likely have more in common with than you did with old friendships, friendships which you may have previously ended up in out of convenience.
3. You can build better friendships with the people that really matter
When you leave old friends behind it can leave space, time and opportunity for both old and new friends that you truly value. It can also allow you to build deeper friendships and experiences with those people you continue to choose to be part of your life. That’s a great thing, and it can move friendships on from being superficial to truly meaningful.
4. Old friends keep you stuck in the past
Old friends who don’t mature, don’t improve their lives and don’t have ambition can often leave you stuck in a rut. Allowing yourself to move on allows you to reach your true potential. Now this doesn’t mean you have to be nasty and look down on your old friend or friends it just means that you recognise that you are different people and that it is time to flee that social dynamic.
5. More solitude can allow you to grow
Sometimes with constant social interaction and with lots of friends telling you their stories and the things filling their lives you can easily get caught up in drama and spend all your time thinking about things that don’t really matter. Less friendships can allow you time to grow, to pursue your own interests, your own feelings and allow you to decide where you want to go in life.
Remember friendship is one of the most important things in life. There is no reason to completely ditch people or cut them out of your life unless they are truly toxic or negative. Instead you can move on naturally and in time you will ease in to the social circles and friendships that really suit you – this will likely involve a few old friends as well!
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