Friends Don’t Lie

Throughout my life, I’ve met people from all kinds of backgrounds, and I’ve learned a lot from these friendships. Some friends became idols to me—people I looked up to and thought, “I want to be like them.” But friendships change, and people move on. As I’ve experienced these changes, I’ve come to realise that these shifts are part of my own growth.

Sometimes I look back at old friendships that shaped me, friendships where I wanted to be just like them. And when those friends drifted away, it felt like a loss. But their absence also gave me motivation. I wanted to be better, not just for myself, but to reach the level I once admired in them. Looking back now, I can see that I’ve achieved it.

I do reflect and remember them, as still being myself back then—idolising, wanting to be more, experiencing. To be clear, I do not look back with regrets, but in a way that has shaped who I am today, and for that, I am ever grateful.

It’s not always easy to lose friends, and I still miss some of them deeply. But I’ve come to appreciate that their presence—and even their departure—was necessary for my own growth. It pushed me to improve, to reach new stages in life that I might not have without those experiences. Sometimes, the best way to grow is to learn from what we lose.

If you’ve ever had friends who inspired you, think about how their impact lingers, even when they’re not around. Growth often happens when we least expect it, driven by the people we meet along the way.