A journey to Inner Healing

Being a good friend is difficult when you feel the need to share hard truths. As much as we want to be supportive and respect a friends decisions there are times we can’t look past the tendencies to self destruct. Certain choices they make seem thought out as they justify how they came to their decision. But, it may have started as an impulsive thought they ran with.

I’ve had many friends that have gotten themselves into tricky situations even after I would advice them, practically beg them, to rethink their choices. I could already tell the outcome before they could. More often than not they would chose to continue on a shaky path even if they came to regret the direction they went.

Eventually, friends would distance themselves when I remain honest, perhaps a bit too blunt and maybe a little harsh when I felt it was the only way they would listen. I could feel when I was being isolated, since it would trigger my abandonment issues I would begin to hold back my opinions from time to time to hold onto the friendships I could feel slipping away. Even when I didn’t agree with their actions.

I believe we do our friends a disservice if we aren’t honest with them even if it may hurt their feelings. While a friend may be looking for you to enable them, their choices may just come to affect you as well. Our truth should come from a place of love and should be delivered with kindness in a safe space.

But we should also be aware when it’s time to gracefully back away to give them the space to live as they please. We aren’t responsible for the way others live and must recognize the need to continue focusing on ourselves to avoid getting lost in someone else’s world.

Those we come in contact with may they be romantic, platonic or familial have a path as unique as our own and sometimes our paths may merge only for a moment.