As a teenager, you are probably devoutly faithful to your friends. And this probably seems like a moral imperative to you. The problem is sometimes your friends aren’t right for you. If you decide to start going a better direction in your life than your friends, will you be able to let go of some friends who are dead weight as you climb the mountain of your dreams? This is so hard for teens to do. One reason this is so hard is because it feels like these friends are your forever friends. They often feel more permanent than family, indeed they may even feel more like family than your actual family.

“You only know what you know.” This is a quote that often helps me understand myself and others. As a teenager you have only begun to relate to people outside your family in a newly found social development and awareness. When you were younger you didn’t have the social awareness you have now. Now your friends are a big part of you and your own identity. Your friends are almost like an appendage like your arm, and cutting off negative friends feels like cutting off a part of yourself. And it feels like a real jerk thing to do as well.  But you have to keep in mind that you are just now getting started in your social life and social skills. This is an area of your life that will continue to develop and hopefully get better as you age – IF you are willing to let go of the past to reach for the future. You don’t know it yet but there are future friends you have not yet met but who will be closer to you and even more precious to you than the friends you have now. They are waiting and all you have to do is let go of the past seasonal relationships so you can qualify for better, healthier relationships to come. It’s a step of faith, but it’s real.