Something that I've found is a really hard pill to swallow is learning how to pick your friends.

I've been learning that the people who claim are your "friends" but are always agreeing with you and enabling you are not your friends.

Friends challenge you. (C)

Your true friends are honest, loyal, and refuse to see you fall. They refuse to walk a destructive path with you, but will beyond a shadow of a doubt walk the rough paths with you.

Friends want to see you thrive. (C)

Your friends will not sit down with you when you fall down. True friends will hold out their hand and say "Get up. Dust yourself off. Keep going."

Your friends will not encourage you to stay down. They will not tell you to keep laying down so you won't get hurt again. (C)

True friends will NEVER let you fail if they can do something about it. They will guide you with their experiences and point you in a better direction. They will not use you for their own successes, but instead, take your hand and go with you so you can succeed together. (C)

Furthermore, friends won't ever leave you behind unless you CHOOSE to stay behind.

If you are a true friend, you won't try to hold someone back from going on without you because you refuse to move.

I've been learning this lesson the hard way.

Also, I'd like to note, if this message struck the wrong chord with you, please do me a favor and unfollow me.

Today I am setting a goal to not only surround myself with true friends, but to be a true friend as well.

Peace.