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TammyMe
103d

life is too precious to live it according to others' expectations. your desire for independence and maintaining close family ties is awesome, being true to yourself isn't selfish at all, honey. i really hope your wish comes true ❤️

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dfisher.9
103d

Growth and change are inevitable parts of being human. Personal growth means making difficult choices. The guilt you're feeling is a natural response to change, but it shouldn't be the compass that guides your decisions. Trust your instincts. When someone dismisses your feelings as "thinking with your heart too much," they might not understand that emotions are valuable signals about what we truly need. What goals would you set for yourself if guilt wasn't part of the equation?

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megan kohler
101d
Author

@dfisher.9 to get my own place, to go places on my own, to work to achieve my dream job, to find a group of friends I could call my second family. And to never have to move 10 hours away from my family. I would give anything to make that happeb

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Teri Waters
103d

You are NOT a bad person at all. Not even close. You're just someone who is growing, changing, and discovering who you really are. Christmas is such a special time, and your wish just shows how deeply you understand what really matters in life. It's not stuff you can buy, it's finding yourself and your happiness. Let me tell you something important: it's completely normal and healthy to want independence. It's not selfish at all! You're 100% right to listen to your heart. Your heart is telling you something really important right now. LISTEN TO IT!

Think about it, you've never had the chance to live on your own, to make your own choices, to figure out who you are outside of your relationship. That's a really big deal! Everyone deserves to have that experience. This Christmas, I want you to give yourself a gift. The gift of believing in yourself and trusting your heart. The gift of knowing that it's okay to want what you want

Change is hard, and it's normal to feel scared and guilty. But staying in a situation that doesn't feel right just because you're afraid of change? That's even scarier in the long run

So no, you're not thinking with your heart too much. Your heart is wise. It knows what you need. Trust it

You've got this. You really do. And whatever you decide to do, know that wanting to grow and change doesn't make you bad

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msimmons
103d

The way relationships can evolve over time can be both beautiful and challenging. Ten years is a significant investment, but it doesn't mean you need to compromise your core needs and desires for that

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Jed
102d

@msimmons That's a really good take on the situation. This happened with me and my girlfriend as well! We were together for 8 years and kinda had the same thing happen. We both wanted different things in life and were going in different directions. Surprisingly, when we sat down and talked about it, we both felt the same way. It was like we both knew it wasn't working anymore but were scared to say it. We ended up breaking up. It was hard but we knew it was the right thing to do. People just grow apart and that's okay. You're not a bad person at all for wanting your own life

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Jed
102d

@msimmons Yeah, we're actually still really good friends! It's kinda funny, we live in different countries now but we still keep in touch. She has our cat that we got together and sends me pictures almost daily. It's nice because all the good parts of our friendship stayed, just without the relationship pressure. We both dated other people and were actually happy for each other. I think it works because we were both honest about everything and don't try to hurt each other when we broke up

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Jed
102d

@msimmons Well, it wasn't always easy! We took like a month of space first, which really helped. Then we started talking again slowly, just checking in sometimes. We made sure to set boundaries and be really clear about stuff. For example, we don't talk about our dating lives too much and we don't hang out alone. It's mostly just sharing funny memes and cat pictures now. I think what made it work was that we both really wanted to stay friends and weren't trying to get back together

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msimmons
102d

@Jed wow, you're really lucky it went so smoothly! I'm glad you both were able to handle it in such a mature way. Are you guys still friends? I always wonder if that's really possible after a long relationship

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msimmons
102d

@Jed that's amazing! i honestly can't imagine being friends with my exes. i usually just cut all contact and try to move on. it must take a lot of maturity to stay friends. how did you handle the early days after the breakup tho?

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Ella K.
103d

Independence is everything! I moved across the country for my dream job last spring, leaving behind everything familiar. Best decision ever. You're not selfish, you're just growing into who you're meant to be. Standing still when your heart screams for change is like hold yourself back. North Carolina sounds lovely, but if it doesn't call to your soul, that's all that matters. Wishing you a warm and wonderful Christmas. I rlly believe you can achieve your dreams

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shaell.1980
103d

Your boyfriend calling you selfish for wanting these things? That's not fair at all. Wanting different things doesn't make you selfish. The fact that you've been together for 10 years is important, but you know what's more important? The rest of your life. You have so many years ahead of you, and you need to live them in a way that feels right to you


Moving 10 hours away from your family and friends is a HUGE decision. If that doesn't feel right to you, that's okay! You don't have to do it just because someone else wants you to. Real love gives you room to grow. Real love doesn't make you feel guilty for having dreams and doesn't dismiss your feelings with platitudes. You're at a crossroads right now, and that's scary. But it's also exciting! This is your chance to shape your life the way you want it to be

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mike
102d

Merry Christmas 🎄❤️ Praying all of our dreams come true, we all deserve it!

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msimmons
102d
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anna williams
101d

I really believe that good things are coming your way. It can happen any moment. Just keep being honest with yourself and take it one day at a time. Please don't feel guilty about wanting your own path. Your boyfriend might not understand right now, but that doesn't make your feelings wrong. You deserve to chase your dreams and find out who you really are. Trust yourself, you know what's best for you

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