Over the last few years, I’ve had a baptism of fire with friends.
When I finally woke up to realise these people didn’t care about me and never did frankly, I had a cull.
It’s left me in a state of starting over again, fresh.
An old adage that many will have grown up with is “quality over quantity” – this is how I see relationships now.
If you’re in traditional work, this is harder. I had a nightmarish time with work colleagues which I also eventually gave up on. I’ve been kind of drifting since and I’ve basically found being on my own more relaxing but, naturally, it can get lonely at times.
There is a balance to strike.
And making the choice as much as you can to be around the right people is critical. You can bond over various things, hobbies/interests, how physical or intellectual your lifestyle is, how intimate you wish to be with people, these sort of things.
Find people you have an affinity with, this can be both online and offline. After you meet with various friends and acquaintances, how do you feel? Uplifted? Relieved to be on your own again.
Test the waters. Trust your judgement and be in relationships, as much as possible, that lift you up and don’t accept any shit from anyone.