Written By Saran Lawson

If we don’t have our backs who will. In the name of looking out for each other let’s talk about cutting off friends. I get it once we hit a certain age, the foolishness gets old. Yet, we forget that someone is putting up with our foolishness. Someone is being all too patient with us, and we are not the only one with grievances about how someone else can do better. We too have room for improvement. Pointing the finger back at ourselves is not as easy as it sounds. It is part of growth and self-love. We can’t coddle ourselves without seeing our own faults. We have to force ourselves to see the part we play in the grand scheme of things and be accountable. So here is my playlist on boosting your friendship skills:

Art of Virtue – The Art of Virtue

Ever heard that patience is a virtue? Relationships also take patience. Yes, even the ones with your friends. You have to remember chances are you didn’t grow up in the same house. You don’t have the same ideas about life and how to live it, and that’s ok. You will never know everything about a person; no matter how we would like to think so. Learning how someone is when they become angry or when they mess up is just as much a part of the puzzle. Talking things out with your friends in a healthy way when things go south is as much part of friendship as wine night. Some things take time, friendships are no exceptions.

Mercy – Shawn Mendes

A woman said this and I agreed with her wholeheartedly. Show your friends the same mercy you would show your man. Hear me out. Your friends have been with you through some TOUGH times. They have listened to you cry your heart out when they guy cheated on you for the umpteenth time. They’ve heard you vent your frustrations when a guy is treating you like a plaything. They’ve done all this knowing that you’re going to take him back…AGAIN. This guy gets all the mercy in the world; someone who you knew half as long and hasn’t done a quarter as much. Ironically, the first time your friend does something you don’t like, they’re out the door. Instead of talking it out and working on that relationship like you would do a romantic one, you throw it in the trash. That guy you’re seeing, he’s still around committing the same mistakes over and over. He’s probably not going anywhere. My point is if know in your heart you would forgive your man a thousand plus one times; then you can give your friendship another shot.

Good people can be hard to come by. Don’t just let them go when things get a little hard. Some things aren’t instantly gratified. They come with hard work and perseverance. Take this advice with a grain of salt and use it if it applies. Some people aren’t worth holding on to. Just remember not to push away the people who are.