“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” – Elbert Hubbard
Throughout my years moving I have discovered the real differences between fake and real friends.
The biggest difference is in their celebrating your success. With a fake friend they might want you to succeed and better yourself, but they do not want you to be better than them. The friendship is more of a one upping battle than it is a loving and supporting relationship.
A real friend will support you and help you improve yourself at your highest highs and lowest lows, no matter where they are compared to you. It does not matter if you are making six figures and they are making four because you see each outher as equals and support each other through it all.
When a friendship is built on competition it is doomed from the start, but if it is built on compassion it can withstand the most brutal storms.
It is also important to check within yourself, are you the one that is making the friendship a competition or is the friend. Do some self evaluating and deep dive into each of the relationships in your life. You might find some things that surprise you.
But through all this remember that it is okay if you grow apart from someone, life happens and sometimes people were meant to be in your life for a season not a lifetime. It is okay to do what you need to do to better yourself. And through doing this your real friends will support you.