Hi srk,

Is it possible that friendships in your past faded quickly because you were not mindfully cultivating them? You said you are a workaholic who didn’t pay a lot of attention to your relationships in the past, and didn’t mind that. But now you do mind, and you’re paying attention. Maybe this awareness and desire to create concrete and genuine relationships is the first step in your journey toward finding them. I am a big believer that everything happens for a reason, and I would say not to focus on the past and what you could have done differently, because you will never be able to go back and change anything. But now you can focus on moving forward intentionally and opening yourself up to new possibilities and relationships. Acknowledging a problem in your life is the first step toward remedying it, and I think you’re off to a good start by thinking about what you are lacking in your life.

Also, the early 20s are a weird and inherently impermanent time. I am in my early 20s myself, and my situation and relationships change frequently. So try not to be too discouraged by people leaving and entering your life often, it does happen as people are on their own journeys. It won’t be that way forever. I hope this message helped, and even if it doesn’t you’ve been given some great advice already. I really enjoyed Mark’s attachment; I read it and it gave me some insight for myself, thanks Mark!

Best,

Jaclyn