Hello, hello! I missed my blog so much, I feel like it’s been forever since I have posted. I had so much on my plate these last few weeks that I had to prioritize, and unfortunately my blog had to take a back seat. BUT….I am BACK (inserts birdman hands). Besides finishing up my first year of graduate school, preparing to move back to Chicago and trying to keep my life in order; I’ve spent this time reflecting and growing as always. What’s the topic for this conversation you ask? How growth in your life can lead to changes in your relationships with people. Now why do I just feel like one of ya’ll read this and was like ” Girllll you better come on now!”. Ya’ll know I’m about to talk my talk because I leave nothing left unsaid in my blogs. So sis get you some wine and get comfortable because we are about to address some things and come to some realizations tonight. Call this a Junie B epiphany if you will.

Lately, I have found myself having talks with some close friends about how changes in our lives, have led to changes within our relationships with people. I can tell ya’ll first hand, I have been on a serious internal journey of bettering myself. On that journey I have experienced some hard realizations in terms of my relationships with friends and family. You get to a point in life where you just want better. You realize that the only thing standing between you and the better life you want…is yourself. We can truly get in our own ways sometimes. When you begin embarking on that journey some people may not understand for a number of reasons.

• They aren’t growing themselves
• They only liked the version of you that they have become used to and don’t like the “better” you because they can’t benefit from it.
• They are simply just “not for you” anymore, and that’s okay.
• They were with you for a season, not a reason and their kick it ticket has expired in your life.
• This is just part of your life they cant embark on and you all need to separate for a while, but may come back together in the future.

Let me explain something to ya’ll. Some people will not be able to handle the new and improved you. I had friends that were all for me when I was always drinking my pain away, getting into it with everybody, down bad and broke, and just out here wilding. But oh honey they cannot STAND the happy, peaceful, financially stable, calm me. Now I’m “boujie, boring and phony”….and I’ll be just that if it keeps them and the raggedy past they can’t let go of away from me. Now, it’s not always a matter of negativity within changing relationships. We often get to places in our life where we outgrow people and things. The further you elevate in life, the more you will begin not to like certain things. Two years ago I used to be in the club every weekend, I’m talking about Friday, Saturday and Sunday….EVERY WEEKEND. Then getting up for work Monday wondering why my head felt like somebody stepped on it. All I wanted to do was party. After a while I grew tired of it but certain people around me didn’t. As I began to venture off and meet new people, try new places I wanted to be in the club less and less and my relationships with them changed. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still pop out from time to time but not hardly as much as I used to and there’s certain clubs I just never see myself going in anymore because it doesn’t fit the person I am anymore.

That’s the whole basis of this talk….as you grown certain things will just not fit the person you are anymore. I told you all that some close friends and I have been having convos for weeks about this. In some capacity we just see ourselves changing and outgrowing certain actions. Let this blog tonight be confirmation that it is okay to growth. Growth is not easy, it’s challenging, and it takes sacrifice. You have to be willing to give up the old you for what’s ahead. You cannot pick and chose what areas of your life to elevate. It’s either all or nothing here. I used to be weary of growth, I didn’t want to lose friends or part of myself. Then I realized, I can’t be stagnant, I am never going to get anywhere with the mindset and attitude I have now. I was tired of being around things that were no longer serving me, dealing with people I barely wanted to be around anymore because there was “history” there. Going in places I no longer had fun in because I was scared to try new places. I was boxing myself in to this version of myself I was no longer comfortable with, but was too stubborn to change. I was so stressed out torn between where I was, and where I new I was supposed to be in life.

Let me tell you something about me now honey. If I don’t wanna be bothered with somebody, I don’t. You CANNOT pay me to go back to my old lifestyle, oh I simply refuse to. I protect me and my peace at all times. I love the people I have in my life, I love to go new places now, I just love working on me and seeing my growth. I no longer participate in anything that does not serve the person I am growing into. Did I lose some friends along the way, yes. To this day I wish everybody I was once close to or cool with all the best. I want to see everybody eat, just not all at my table. Do not be afraid to elevate. DO whatever it is you need to do to be the best version of yourself. Take that class, apply for that job, start that business, pack up and move, whatever it is DO IT. Cut ties with any and everything that you feel like is holding you back from moving forward. Remember, the only person keeping you from the life you want….is you.

Until next time my loves.

Drink your water, exfoliate, and mind your business. Tips for a healthy life.

XOXO – Junie.