I am trying to improve myself, but I don't expect that many people are going to be patient enough to stick through on a journey that has no end, and may not even see much improvement. This goes for everyone in my life and I have lost many relationships in the last few years that were very dear to me, because I have changed, and their expectations no longer aligned. And before anyone says otherwise, we all have our expectations for others, no matter the relationship.
Man has a variable nature. One's individual goals, struggle for life and ambition inevitably change the person. Now I thought that the people I met constantly 10 years ago are different. The people I have always met now are different. Although the place and work I live in. It is quite difficult for the person to remain static.
No one can stay the same and we are all "damaged" by life. Often it happens over the space of time, so it is less noticeable or can be dealt with at a slower speed. A stroke is a little bit like surviving a car crash with horrific injuries, except it is all in the brain.