Replace destructive relationships with healthy ones

I have one friend who just steals my energy and peace of mind every time I talk to her. She encourages behaviors that I don’t think fit my life anymore, but we have been friends for so long that I don’t know how to bring this up.

It took me years to do this with some of my relationships, but everyone has varying degrees of “destructive relationships” in their lives. Mine have been from romantic relationships, familial relationships, and friendships. I’ve learned after being hurt in each of these aspects that I have to let go of them, stop trying so hard to not be hurt. I have been hurt physically, emotionally, and financially and finallly just got the point where I’d had ENOUGH! I have stopped speaking to the family members who were hurting my life, removed myself from destructive friendships, and escaped hurtful/destructive romances… and it feels so good to be free of all of it!

I have been doing this, and it has led me to a place of understanding and peace. Some of the relationships that were unhealthy (to me) survived after all, and have become more healthy because of my limit setting. Others just died a natural death and I have not missed them at all.
It surprised me to know that many of the people who were abusing me stopped entirely when they knew that the relationship did not matter to me anymore. They got real responsive and made a better effort, something I did never expected.
I will confess that these are still probationary relationships.

Sometimes it is hard to identify which is which, because people are just too complex. But now that I have begun to “track” those who make me feel bad, and those who make me feel good, (see picture above as example of who makes me feel good) I have decided to cut off some of the bad ones, even if they are family!