Choosing to be around people

 Sometimes you just start to feel it—like you’re no longer really welcome in a space you used to feel comfortable in. 

The way people talk to you changes, or maybe they stop talking much at all. You catch yourself second-guessing what you say, or staying quiet just to avoid being dismissed or misunderstood. It’s not always dramatic. It can be small things—a joke at your expense, being left out of plans, or just sensing that your presence isn’t valued the same way anymore. And still, a part of you stays, hoping something will shift back to how it used to be. Because it’s hard to walk away from people or places that once felt like home.

But staying too long in places where respect has faded slowly wears you down. You start to forget that you deserve to feel heard, appreciated, and safe being yourself. It’s not about being dramatic or holding grudges—it’s about recognizing when something just isn’t good for you anymore. Leaving doesn’t always mean slamming a door or making a scene. Sometimes it just means quietly choosing yourself. 

Choosing to be around people who make you feel like you matter without you having to fight for it. And that’s not selfish—it’s necessary.