Thank you Peter. Your response made me feel understood and gave me a new perspective on what happened. I suspect you’re right that he probably felt abandoned and wasn’t prepared to step into my role. I generally put everyone else’s needs ahead of my own, and hate the thought of hurting anyone. In this case I had long been hurting myself and my closest relationships by staying in a career that was a poor fit for me. I simply couldn’t do it anymore. Everyone else in my life was thrilled that I finally found the courage to leave a very lucrative but miserable corporate career to take care of myself and do what I’m passionate about.

I need to come to terms with the fact that my actions won’t always please everyone. Maybe my friend will come around in time- he know how badly my health had deteriorated and how long I had been thinking about starting my own business before actually doing it. But if he doesn’t, then I think that proves that he wasn’t the friend I thought he was to begin with. I’ll focus my attention on the people that lift me up in life instead.