Throughout life, we experience many relationships that we believe will last a lifetime. These can be both intimate and platonic relationships, ones among family, significant others and friends. Unfortunately, a lot of relationships you will have in life do not last that long. Some are over quicker than you can snap your fingers, and sometimes you're friends with someone for years!

They say that if you're friends with someone for seven years, they will forever be in your life. Now sit back & think really quick... How many of your "current" best friends have you known for seven or more years? (Side note: I put "current" in quotations because everyone has that lifelong best friend...but are you really still best friends?)

Why is it that people come into our lives, then leave shortly after?

Some of this is due to life. People have obligations. Sometimes people have to move for work. For example, military families tend to stay in one place for a few years and then they're off to the next destination. At this point, it's hard to maintain friendships.

Other people grow out of friendships. When we're young, sometimes different levels of maturity deteriorates friendships. I've experienced this one firsthand. I went to college straight from high school, working part-time jobs and focusing on school. Meanwhile, some high school friends went straight into the workforce after high school. These friends owned houses, cars and were approaching marriage and kids by 21. I, on the other hand, was busy procrastinating on papers, swiping on Tinder and recovering from blacked-out four-day weekends. My friends from home had their lives figured out, while I was still living life the same way I did in high school. This definitely frayed some of my friendships.

Aside from life happening, I believe some people come into our lives for a reason: to teach us something. This is especially true in intimate relationships. We will constantly learn more about how to be in a relationship throughout our lifetime.

What if people are placed in our lives to teach us what we want, or don't want, in a relationship, or how to properly act while in a relationship?

Throughout my professional dating life, I've learned something about myself from each relationship I've had. I have realized what I want or don't want in a woman, how to love, and most importantly, how to treat my significant other. I believe without the experience of these relationships, I wouldn't have ever learned these things. Experience and exposure are important in all aspects of life and learning.

I have also learned a lot about myself. The problem is, you tend not to learn much about yourself until that relationship is over. The emotions from losing someone close in your life brings on a ton of self-reflection. This is a good thing. Self-reflection from grief is one of the main ways we realize our own personal issues, and can be a driving force in correcting them.

In this sense, maybe when someone is placed in our life out of nowhere and then disappears relatively quickly, they were merely there to help us learn a lesson about ourselves. This is a bit of a spiritual outlook on life, but as a believer in fate, I feel as if there is always a reason we come in contact with people in life.

To anyone reading this: I encourage you to stop looking back at past regrets, mistakes and loss of friendships. Look at each loss as a lesson. As long as you don't lose yourself along the way, you don't really lose. People grow and mature differently. Sometimes we outgrow others. Sometimes we feel as if we outgrow others, then realize we miss that individual being in our life.

But despite the situation, you cannot dwell on it because it will only hold you back from reaching your true potential. Losing people from our life should only motivate us to do better, whether it was our choice or not. Look at each relationship in your lifetime, platonic or intimate, as a blessing. Learn from each experience you have with someone else. Grow from your previous mistakes. And never take another person for granted, no matter the circumstances. You will regret it at the end of the day.

Hip Hop Artist, NF, said "It's not 'bout what you done, it's about what you become from it." Learn from the people you come in contact with, learn from your mistakes, and become a better version of yourself from your experiences.