It’s time to get rid of the toxic people in your life. And here’s the deal. I don’t care if that toxic person was your best friend growing up. I don’t care if it’s your cousin. I don’t even care if that toxic person is a very close family member. Yes, I said it.
I don’t care who that toxic person was one of the people who brought you into this world because we all get to the point where we realize that people are the most important part of our lives, and if they’re not building you up and supporting you, they’ve got to go.
Long-running research, including the Harvard Study of Adult Development, has highlighted the importance of supportive relationships for health and well-being. The people around us can shape how supported, connected, and satisfied we feel, which is why it matters to pay attention to the quality of our relationships.
So these people aren’t just bringing you down mentally. They’re literally destroying you slowly. Here’s the easiest way to tell if someone’s toxic and in your life. Have you ever doubted that they’re truly happy for you? Let that sink in for a second.
A true friend will be as happy for your wins as you are. A toxic person will poke holes in all of your wins. They’ll find the negative in them, or they’ll fake their excitement for you.
So if they’re jealous, criticize you, make you think small, constantly spread negativity or manipulate you, they have to go.
Think about this for a second. When a flower doesn’t grow, you don’t try to change the flower; you try to change the environment around the flower. You give it more sun, more water, and you take care of it. So if you’ve been having trouble growing your life or you’re stuck in a rut, maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s the people that are around you that are holding you back.
You just need a new environment. You know, they say that you’re the average of the five people that you spend the most time with. So look around you. If you don’t make a change, that is your future.
The question is: Is that the future you want? When you’re around them or after you hang out with them, how do you feel? Do you feel more energized and excited about life, or do you feel physically and mentally drained just from being around them? If you feel drained, then that’s someone who is literally sucking the energy out of your life because there are two things you can’t get back in a day. The first one is time, and the second one is energy. And guess what a toxic person takes from you? Both of them.
Think about what toxic food does to your body. Now realize that toxic people do exactly the same thing to you. And I know that maybe you’ve been keeping them around because you know how great they could be, and you’re just waiting for them to finally change. But at some point you just have to accept that some people will never change.
At this point, keeping them around is like trying to breathe life into something that’s already dead. Their time has passed, and if it’s easier for you, don’t think that you’re getting rid of them. Think as if you’re just.
Letting them go, love them, and appreciate the part they played in your life, but love yourself enough to let them go. Because every day you’re writing the book of your life, it’s time to turn the page and stop reading the same old chapter. You’re in control of where your story goes from here. So make it a great story.
