With each new phase in our life, some people come aboard while others find excuses to depart us and disembark at the next port –or maybe get evacuated by the captain of the ship, you.

Your school friends, your college friends, your work friends, etc are the passengers who will sail with you on your journey of life. Now, let’s discuss one of the ugliest phases of this interesting journey, when you start disliking one of the passengers, aka a friend.

It always fascinated me how as soon as we think we’ve figured out who we are, the wheel would turn and a new year added to our life would prove us wrong. It’s like we are on a journey of continuous change. One of those major changes can be starting to feel differently towards a friend.

You start to grow increasingly intolerant of them, and interact with them less and less. Every time you talk to them, you feel agitated, angry and almost frustrated. To sum it up, you started to dislike them.

Now the question is, why?

We tend to answer this question by blaming the other person, pointing out his or her issues which we can’t stand anymore. That’s not always true. They maybe the most terrible creature that ever came into being, but moving on or drifting away from them after years of friendship isn’t all about them. It’s about you.

The reasons why this might happen can vary from one person to another, but the most common one is the fact that you’re no longer the person you were when you became friends with them. You’ve grown into a different you. Maybe some people don’t change that much, but no one stays the same.

You now have a different view of things, different reactions. It’s even a different time frame. It’s like the wind is blowing your ship into a different direction, so it’s quite normal that not everyone will co-opt with this. Friends are fluid; they come and go. Some stay for the long term; others don’t. You should allow this fluid motion and its freedom to move.

Some friends are worth fighting for and sometimes worth changing direction for. Others are just meant to go. C’est la vie; climbing up the wall will get you nowhere. It’s not that what you had together wasn’t real friendship. It’s not that either of you is bad.

Ladies and gentleman, we are pleased to announce that we have safely reached our destination. On our behalf and the entire crew, we would like to thank you for joining us on this trip. As for those who wish to proceed, please beware, it’s going to be a wild ride.