I'm sitting here at 55, looking at my phone contacts. Hundreds of names. But the number of people I'd call a true friend - someone I could call at 2 AM, someone who actually knows me, I can count them on one hand.

For a long time, I thought something was wrong with me.

In this episode, we're talking about something nobody wants to admit: Friendships in midlife is hard. Really hard.

When you're young, friends are everywhere. But then life happens. You move. You build a career. You chase dreams. One day your realize: I don't have many friends anymore.

My story: I left home after high school for college in Raleigh, then to LA chasing the Hollywood dream, worked as a Chemist for Neutrogena while getting my MBA. Just like that, I'm nearly 3,000 miles from where I started. Now I'm in the Cleveland Ohio area with my family. Realizing I have way fewer tried and true friends than I expected.

What we are covering in this episode:

*Why friendship gets exponentially harder after 50

*The friendship paradox: being well liked/ respected, but still feeling lonely.

* Survivors' remorse: feeling guilty cause I "got out" and the self work to move past it

*Friendships I had to end. Our values no longer aligned. And why it hurt to do that.

*The cost of loneliness: health, mood, longevity

*What real friends look like: quality over quantity

*How to build and maintain healthy friendships

The episode is vulnerable, honest and real.

I don't have all the answers, still figuring it out for myself. I'd rather have a small number of true friends. I will be alone instead of bad company. Wisely invest time and effort in relationships that matter.

At the end of your day, what matters is who was there for you, who laughs with you, who struggled with you. and vice versa. This are friendships that last.

***This episode you are gonna wanna share. If it resonates, send it to someone who needs to hear it. Leave a review on Apple Podcast. Reach out to that one friend you've been meaning to call.

Follow me on Instagram @theJamey

Facebook/ TikTok @JameyMixson

MUSIC CREDITS:

Cherish the day: Justice Der/ www.justiceder.com

Linus & Lucy: Andrew DeSesa/ http://www.youtube.com/@AndrewDeSesa

Man, Listen is written and recorded by host Jamey Mixson, Fitness Professional, entrepreneur, and your everyday awesome guy who is living as proof that 55 can be your strongest, clearest, most powerful decade yet.

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Contact: Instagram @theJamey, Facebook @Jameymixson, Email: mixsonfj@gmail.com

****don't for get to leave that review