I'm not sure why they say not to burn bridges. My entire life, I've made an effort to be on everyone’s good side. I'm not saying that I’ve always done the right thing or that I've never done people wrong, because I'm far from perfect. What I mean is, I've always tried to form a relationship with anyone who gave me a chance. I never belonged to a certain clique or group because I never turned people away. I've always been able to connect with so many different types of people because I try to push myself to be as open-minded as possible. This is something that has paid off because I've developed wonderful friendships and I couldn't be more thankful for the people who are in my life.

But the good comes with the bad.

People who had a place in my life no longer do and I've learned that prolonging that relationship only proves to be disastrous. They say you should never burn bridges because you may not know who you will need in your life again, but sometimes keeping that bridge open is only holding you back.

Growing up sucks, we all know that. Part of it is moving on to different, hopefully bigger, maybe better things. When we find a path that we want to pursue, only so many can come with. The ties that are holding on by their last thread—cut them. Baggage, unsteady relationships and even your past are the bridges that you need to burn in order to advance into the next phase of your life.

This isn't easy, especially for somebody like myself. I never hold onto things without meaning or value, unless it's people. I've never been the type to just eliminate somebody from my life because I don't want to ever leave somebody who may still need me. However, I’ve realized that my happiness, my success, it all comes before anyone else's. It's selfish, but it's true. I need to burn bridges. I need to cut ties. I need to make my circle smaller. Holding on to those that aren't holding their own weight only makes moving towards your goal that much harder.

The amount and quality of your relationships will not spiral into a disaster, so do not fear losing everyone after you lose a few. As you move forward through life, you will gain and create more relationships. Many times, if you're from a small town like myself, these relationships will be of much more value. I feel that when you come from such an enclosed environment like a small town, you don't have much of a choice but to keep certain relationships alive. Once you get he chance to cut those ties and create new relationships, you'll realize that a few stable relationships are all you need for the foundation of a happy life.

So set those bridges on fire, don't look back. People from your past do not need a piggyback ride to your future. It's okay to let go, it's okay to find something new. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. You have a long way to go and that heavy load will prove to be nothing but problematic.