Change is a constant reminder that not everything stays the same.
We cling to what feels familiar because it’s comfortable. It’s natural for us to want to keep holding on to what we’ve always known because it feels easier than letting go.
We associate discomfort with change because it asks for a version of us that we’ve never been before. But sometimes to step into the new, we need to accept that it’s okay to outgrow anything that isn’t meant for us anymore. Even if that means letting go of people we never imagined we would.
As We Change, Our Relationships Will Change Too
A part of growing means accepting that not everything will always remain the same. Our experiences shape our perspective and remind us that as our needs and values change, our relationships evolve too.
If I think about the person I was 10 years ago, the person I am today, and who I will be 10 years from now, all three versions are vastly different from each other; as they should be. We aren’t meant to stay the same, we’re meant to grow; even when that means accepting that our relationships won’t always be what they once were.
Recently, I’ve been walking through one of the hardest seasons of my life. While I’ve been doing a lot of self-reflection, it’s reminded me that as our mindset and life circumstances change, we can’t expect others to have the same shift. People come into our lives for a reason. Whether it’s for a moment, a season, or a lifetime.
We try to cling to what we’ve always known, but we can’t keep forcing connections that simply aren’t there anymore. Sometimes growth means learning how to accept that not every relationship is meant to last, and that it’s okay to let go.
Not every person from our past is meant to make it in our future, and it’s not our job to make something work that simply isn’t meant to be anymore. Accept that as you change, your relationships with others might change too.
Letting Go Isn’t A Weakness, It’s A Sign Of Strength
There were so many times in the past when I held onto a relationship out of fear of letting go. I felt like walking away meant I failed. As if somehow I wasn’t doing enough to keep the relationship what it always was.
Letting go of somebody who is no longer meant for us is never a weakness, it’s a sign of strength. I’ve realized that just because we want to cling tightly to what we’ve always known, it doesn’t always mean that it’s the right thing for us.
It isn’t our job to ‘fix’ everything. True strength comes from recognizing when something isn’t serving us anymore in the way it once did. It’s okay to mourn what was or ache for what we thought a relationship would be, and it’s okay to let go if a relationship ran its course.
We can’t force something that isn’t meant to be, and sometimes that means learning how to let go of what was to make space for what’s to come.
It doesn’t mean that we won’t feel hurt, pain, or even confusion. It just means that we recognize when a relationship isn’t fulfilling us in the way it once did. Growth and healing encourages us to re-evaluate where we’re at, including making sure the relationships in our lives are aligning with what we need.
We Have To Accept People For Who They Are, Not Who We Want Them To Be
A major sign of growth is accepting people as they are, rather than who we expect them to be. Even if we’re growing, it doesn’t mean the people around us are growing too.
The situations we go through can alter who we are forever. We can’t expect others to change just because we have, and we can’t attach an expectation to who we think they should be because of what we’ve experienced.
Recently, I’ve had to accept the hard reality that people are who they are, which has nothing to do with us. Just as we can’t force connections, we also can’t expect somebody to change.
If somebody isn’t aligning with where you are or where you’re headed, it’s okay to let go. Sometimes our paths take us in completely different directions, and with that, the relationships in our lives will naturally fade and change. Holding onto a relationship that hinders our growth only holds us back from who we’re meant to be.
We can’t expect or force others to change; we either have to embrace who they are or recognize when it’s time to part ways.
Trust That The Right People Will Always Find Their Way To You
I truly believe timing is everything, including the timing of who is meant to be in our lives and when.
Looking back on friendships I held onto out of fear of change, I realize now that letting go was always necessary for my growth, even when I couldn’t make sense of it at the time.
Not every relationship is meant to stay in our lives forever, and sometimes they’re only meant to be temporary. If we never let go of what isn’t meant for us, then the door will never open for what is.
Growing and healing means embracing the unknown, regardless of how uncomfortable it might feel.
We live life forward but understand it backward. Trusting something we can’t tangibly see is difficult at first, but timing always has a way of making sense of everything in the end.
Trust that the right people who are meant to be in your life will always find a way to you when you need them, even if it means letting go of what you’ve always known. Letting go is never a weakness, it’s a sign of strength and healing. Remember, it’s okay to outgrow people who aren’t growing.
