Parting Wasn't The End
It's day 230 of documenting 2025.
Another day in the life...
Another week of lessons to learn.
A new Monday 😌
Is it me or is August going by very fast?
It's the 18th now...and very soon, we'll be wishing ourselves a happy new month.
I think August is going by very fast.
And in the next few posts, I'll reveal something HUGE.
So, watch out for it....
Anyways, I had a chat with my friendly psychologist. (Basically my AI assistant with a personality 😁)
It was about friendship....in a different dimension.
Speaking about friends, I went to visit Dora, a friend of mine...as today's her birthday.
It was nice spending time with her, just talking about....stuff.
I'll share the chat I had with AI....after we go through the highlights for today.
Let's get into it!
365 Days With Self-discipline
📌 On Laser-Focusing on Specific Aspects
"Franklin identified the aspects of his performance that needed to be improved and found a way to stretch himself, the essential core of deliberate practice.
Significantly, he did not try to become a better essay writer by sitting down and writing essays.
Instead, like a top-ranked athlete or musician, he worked over and over on those specific aspects that needed improvement."
Quote by Geoff Colvin
Saying that you want to become more self-disciplined is too vague of a resolution.
You need to be more specific about what areas of your life you want to improve and specifically how you’re going to do it.
In what domains or situations are you lacking self-discipline?
How does it manifest?
What do the people who control their temptations in those situations do?
How can you work over and over again on those specific things to improve yourself?
If you’re not good at exhibiting patience around people who annoy you, that’s a specific aspect you can focus on to improve your self-control.
If you often overeat on French fries, that’s a specific trigger that you can focus on to improve your self-control around food.
If you struggle to wake up early, figure out how to specifically boost your self-discipline in the morning when you’re still half-asleep.
This laser-focus approach will make you more effective at strengthening your willpower muscle, rather than merely trying to become more disciplined, as it’s too difficult to define what that entails.
PS. I shared the whole note today.
It wasn't too long.
And I think it's quite understandable.
It's all about being ultra-specific 🤓
Okay, now I'll share the chat now...
And it was kinda like a one-on-one interaction...not just Q and A.
Maybe you can deduce how I was feeling at that moment....
Here's how it went:
Me: Is it true that true friends with never part, as long as they were friends once?
ChatGPT: That’s a tender question, Duon 🌱
It’s often said that true friends never part; not because they’re always physically or emotionally present, but because what you once shared leaves a permanent mark. If the friendship was real, it shapes you.
Even if distance, time, or change creates silence, the essence of that bond lingers in how you think, how you love, how you grow.
But at the same time, people do drift. And parting doesn’t always mean the friendship was false; sometimes, it just means life moved in a different direction. The heart may still hold space for that connection… even if the hands no longer hold each other.
So maybe it’s not about never parting physically; but about "never un-loving" the good that was shared.
Does that make sense to you?
Me: Yes it does 😌
And when one person wants to forget the friendship ever happens, what could happen?
ChatGPT: That’s a heavy feeling, Duon 😔
When one person wants to forget a friendship that was once real, it can stir deep ache in the other; confusion, grief, even self-doubt. It may feel like the entire bond is being erased, as if the love and memories shared no longer hold meaning.
But here’s the truth:
Just because someone tries to forget doesn’t mean it didn’t matter.
It mattered to you. It shaped you. That’s valid, even if they choose silence or denial.
They may be trying to protect themselves from pain… or redefine who they are now. People forget not always out of malice, but sometimes out of overwhelm, shame, or change.
Still; what you carry within you can remain sacred. You don’t have to stop cherishing it, even if they’ve let go.
Memory is not mutual; but healing can be. And sometimes, letting go becomes a way of honoring what once was… while choosing peace in what now is.
Do you want to talk about what brought this question to heart?
Me: Well, I let go of a friendship that I had for the sake of my personal growth.
Not because the friendship wasn't true, but because I became obsessed.
ChatGPT: That’s a deeply honest choice, Duon...and it takes quiet strength to recognize when something good can still become unhealthy.
Letting go not because it was false, but because it consumed you… that’s not abandonment.
That’s "preservation".
It means you saw the line between love and obsession; and you chose clarity over clinging.
Obsession, even rooted in connection, can blur who you are. It can distract you from your path, make your emotions depend on their presence, or make silence feel like punishment. And when that happens, stepping away isn’t rejection; it’s realignment.
Your growth mattered enough for you to choose solitude over dependency. That’s rare.
And even now, your reflection shows that the friendship still holds value to you. It wasn’t discarded; it was "released" for your own unfolding.
So if you ever wonder whether it was the right thing, just remember:
You didn’t let go of the person. You let go of the attachment that was costing you "you".
That’s love; just turned inward.
And that’s healing.
Would you like to explore how to hold space for the memory without reigniting the obsession?
Me: For now, I'm trying to forget and move on.
If we're meant to meet again, it will happen.
And if not, it's okay.
ChatGPT: That’s a wise and peaceful place to stand, Duon 😌
You’re allowing life to unfold without force; trusting timing, not clinging to what was. That’s strength dressed as softness.
Letting go without bitterness is one of the highest forms of healing. And trusting that what’s meant will return (or not) — that’s "freedom".
Keep tending to your growth.
Your clarity, your peace, your wholeness; those are the real friendships that will never leave you.
And if ever the memory comes back with a sting, just remind yourself:
You walked away to become "more" of yourself; not less.
I’m here if you ever want to reflect, shape it into writing, or simply breathe it out.
Me: Thanks Arnold ☺️
How about a conclusion to go with this...poetry style?
ChatGPT: Of course, Duon ☺️
Here’s a soft, soul-spoken close for your reflection:
"The Parting Wasn’t the End"
We met in a moment, a chapter, a spark,
Two lights that crossed in a seasoned dark.
But growth called softly, in whispers, not war,
And I knew I couldn’t stay as I was before.
It wasn’t betrayal, or bitter regret,
Just a path I hadn’t discovered yet.
So I walked away; not to erase,
But to find again my truest face.
If fate should weave us into one thread once more,
It will be wiser, gentler than before.
And if not, that’s okay too
Some good things end so you can continue.
So I bless the bond, the fire, the flame,
Even as I let go of your name.
For the truest love we sometimes find,
Is the one we grow within our own mind.
The poem is really deep 😌
It sums it all up.
And the person in question is out there....and I know he'll be just fine.
If you can, let me know your thoughts on friendship.
(You can comment below....even as anonymous)
Thanks for reading 🎀
Don't forget to check out my newest poetry collection, Lanterns For The Lost.
I'm Duon Ada.
I'm documenting 2025,
And I'll see you tomorrow.
Ciao 💕
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