StandUp,

Why is it that you're the one feeling responsible in your "crowd" of friends. Like they're all making bad choice (some cases yes) and you're the one picking it all up with open arms. Do you complain? No. Do you want to do it? Yes, your friends are your life. I think friends have that place in your heart forever, whether they remain your friends for a year or for years. But what if you feel like they're taking advantage of you? What if they're holding you back? What if I am capable of nearly so much more, yet I'm forever bound to this person. And you can't say no. You feel as if you'd let them down. Would they do it for you, you contemplate. Constant questions eating at you right? I had someone tell me with so much pain in their eyes, that they were helping friends everyday. That their friends had threatened to cut or do something bad...

My take on it:

Do for you. Meaning, you have to do things for yourself. You cannot let all your energy go into people other than yourselves. It's funny because all the ones closest to you are usually the ones who hurt you the most. And why is that? Because you let it affect you and because you feel the utter betraylment and despise yet still feel compassion at this backstabbing friend. We've all had that person. In the case of the cutting thing, I think we can all relate to it. I mean we really feel like if we aren't with that person, that they are open to a wrong path. But what can you do? You can only do so much. But at the end of the day what we must also realize is that, yes we have great friends, but are they the ones who are making OUR dreams come true? Or are they holding them away from us. You have to move forward. You are one person. You can help someone out, just make sure you have you time at the end of every day for you. If you can truly look in the mirror and say you've accomplished something, you are! It hurts me that some people are always going to be bound to their friends but it's time to live your life. Are you risking your own happiness for someone else? And if you say yes, you're damn selfish to yourself. And that's what you don't want. Nobody comes before yourself. Learn to love yourself because you are the only one you have! You are your deepest confidante. You are the shell to your life. Your voice is your greatest power. You have the power. We all do.

--daviduh.