Ring in The New Year and Reevaluate Relationships
There are only a few days left until the new year! 2022 is almost here, and so much has happened in what felt like such a little time. If you have goals this upcoming year to refresh your life, you might be looking at the relationships around you. Today, we’re going to talk about reevaluating your relationships, whether they are romantic, platonic or professional, as we go into the new year. Chances are if you are even considering an end of friendship or relationship, that might be a glaring sign.
End Of Friendship
Have you been having an issue with one of your friends, or even a friend group? The beginning of a new year is time for a change, and sometimes, this means you might need to leave someone behind. This might be because of a major issue you had with them, or maybe they won’t respect your boundaries, or maybe you’ve simply drifted apart. Friendship ends don’t have to be drastic, oftentimes, they happen on their own over time. If your friend has pushed you or done something awful to you in the past, you have every right to cut them off point-blank, but otherwise, the beginning of the year might be a good time for you to begin distancing yourself from them. Unless they truly hurt you, you really don’t need to completely abandon a friend, but you can definitely pull back and give yourself the space you need. Who knows? Friendships can sometimes fluctuate and come back, even decades later.
Romantic Relationships
Breakups are really hard, but people don’t often talk about how hard it is to be the one who is doing the breaking. If you are thinking about breaking up with your partner, there is obviously a reason. People don’t often end relationships for nothing. But this isn’t saying you need a major reason – like they cheated on you, or are even a bad person. If you are unhappy in your relationship, you don’t have to stay. No one wants to be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t even like them anymore. If you think it is worth working on, then maybe take the new year as an opportunity for change for both of you. But if you’re already halfway out the door, set them free. If you need help leaving a harmful relationship, there are so many resources available. If you are in serious trouble, visit https://www.thehotline.org/ for more information on state-specific help. If you need the push to leave a relationship that is harming you, reach out to a friend for help. Let the new year motivate you to leave. You are strong and you deserve happiness in 2022.
Family Feuds
Family can be the hardest to let go of. Family ties are usually deep and can feel like they are impossible to untangle yourself from. Oftentimes, it feels easier to forgive and forget when it comes to your family, because “blood is thicker than water.” But, the original saying is often forgotten: “the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” The original quote was actually used to say that you can choose your own family, and often those bonds are thicker and deeper than the ones you got settled with because of who you were born to. I personally love my family, and although there are bickers and fights here and there – we make it work. But I know that is a luxury, and that some people did not get so lucky. If you have a strained relationship with your family, especially because they are harmful, you can cut them off. It may seem huge, or more monumental than another relationship in your life, but you need to keep yourself safe. There’s often a thought process that because your parents raised you, fed you and kept you alive as a child, that you are now indebted to them for life. In reality, your parents brought a child into this world (which was not your choice), and they did the bare minimum by keeping you alive. Obviously, you can be thankful to your parents and family for everything they have done for you, everything they might have given up for you, and all of the beautiful memories they made for you. But if you are in dangerous situations because of your family, do not let them guilt you into submission. Say thank you, and move on.
Professional Relationship
The new year is a great time to evaluate what you want the rest of your life to look like. When it comes to work, the end goal should be: happy. If you have found yourself to be in a toxic work environment, now might be the time to reevaluate and to decide if you should leave. It can be really hard sometimes to let go of a career path or position because you might have spent years working toward it. In the end, your happiness must come first, and leaving might do you a lot of good. As I’ve never mentioned a million and ten times, before making this magazine, I was in a very tense and toxic work environment. My supervisor was horribly rude, undermining and disrespectful to me and my teammates. I stayed because I loved what I was doing (writing for a magazine) but I shouldn’t have. After I began standing up for myself (in minor ways) and losing my motivation (because I was scared to turn anything in, ask for any help, or to make any mistake, even as little as a typo), I was fired. They dropped me from the magazine point-blank, no warning and no notice. I should have left before then on my own terms, but instead, I was forced to leave anyway. If you need the motivation to start looking for work elsewhere, this is it. Now, I have my own magazine and can do what I love without being disrespected and disregarded by a horrible boss.
Reevaluating your relationships can be really hard. Whether you’re dealing with an end of friendship, relationship or other relationship, I wish you the best. What advice do you have for others dealing with these situations?