Keep your circle small

​"Decide the friends, mentors & leaders you want in your life, in your inner circle, and court them with emotional generosity. Make it matter." ~ Gary W. Goldstein
We must ask ourselves and test our answers to the question of who we have in our lives. We will eventually learn or even have learned that the concept of "popularity," which refers to "someone who is liked by everyone," is a façade and never genuinely exists.Keeping a close group of friends is difficult as we mature into adults and discover our true selves. The difficulty of trying to identify who your true friends are depends on a variety of elements, including trust, accountability, maturity, and values. Do you want to hang out with folks who are constantly talking about others? What if they discuss you when you are not present? People who constantly talk about someone are almost certain to do so.While this is very hurtful, it is life. You may not be able to change or stop someone from continuing this behavior, but you can chose to walk away from them. 
Being constantly surrounded by or under pressure to partake in drinking and partying in an effort to "be cool" or "be social" like "everyone else" is a constant phenomenon in our society. Do you want to hang out with people whose main concern is to party all the time? in an effort to get drunk or high? These kinds of friends could seem entertaining when you're first starting out as an adult. It may be a really bad situation to be close to someone who does this as you mature, level up, and realize what should be prioritized. Alcohol and other drug addiction can happen to partygoers very quickly, even during the week and on the weekends. Overindulging can result in addiction, If you are friends with someone who is an addict, what is they are driving the car with you as a passenger and both of your lives are lost? It is too late to go back in time and make the hard but responsible choice if they do not accept help themselves. 
Keeping a close group of friends will always be optimal over a large group of friends who you can't trust, rely and create positive memories with in your life. If you ever struggle with finding out who your real friends are and who you want in your circle, do not feel alone or overwhelmed. It is almost guaranteed that your true circle of friends in your life will change as you become older and go through life. It is natural to realize who you want to surround yourself with and who you do not. It is natural to want to be more and receive more out of your life. 
Never let anyone stop you or convince you otherwise!