We have all heard, "People change, it's just a part of life." The older we get, the more we realize how true that statement is. It's never easy to see someone that you care about change into a complete stranger, especially when you feel like you're still the same person.

How does that work exactly? Is it the rough patches in life that change people? Do we change into the people we hang around? Why are people constantly changing? And more importantly, why am I not?

The only answer to these questions that I can understand, is all of the above. People change because their lives change. They go through some hard times, meet new people and slowly change the way they act. Sometimes changes are good, and we all change at some point, but I want to talk about the change that nobody likes, the kind that draws you away from the people that love you.

We all know someone who has changed in a negative way. It's never easy to watch someone you love make bad decisions and head down a road of destruction. No one likes to let go, but when a person becomes toxic, it's important to learn how to love them from a distance.

Grow up, meet new people, and experience new things. Let yourself change in the sense that you gain knowledge, and live this life to the fullest. Don't change because someone else wants you to, change because you want to. Don't follow your best friend down a dark path, instead, use the loss of a friend as a lesson. Constantly uplift those around you, but don't forget to love on yourself a little bit. Remind yourself of the hard work you have put into this life and realize how much you could throw away by chasing someone down a deep hole.

People change, but it doesn't mean that we have to. We can be better. We can help those around us. How do you help someone who doesn't understand toxic change? You love them unconditionally. You show them their potential, and you keep yourself grounded through every adversity. Be the light in their darkness. You can help someone without letting them bring you down, it has been done. No one is perfect, and we all make mistakes, but if we continue to be true to who we are, then what can we lose?