One of the most simple truths in life is that there will always be people around you who try to bring you down in one way or another. These types of people come out of nowhere, and they can be friends, family members or acquaintances, so it’s not always blatantly obvious when a person is toxic to you. The next time you find yourself grappling with a hostile or venomous person, remember that this is your life and they’re trying to degrade who you are, and you’re not going to stand for it.
What these people say and do to us are out of our control, but how we handle ourselves during these moments is something we can focus on. Let them know you won’t stoop to their level by remaining above their poison. Never, ever let people do these five things to you:
Drag You into Pointless Arguments – Everyone knows that one person who loves to argue just for the sake of arguing. Just to show everyone that they can speak down to others and put them in their place. Don’t waste time engaging with anyone who is dead set on misunderstanding and misinterpreting everything you say. You simply don’t have the time.
Shame You for Past Events or Experiences – Everyone has scars and wounds from past traumas, it’s what it means to be human. But from these scars, we grow. And we grow back stronger than before. Don’t be ashamed of the mistakes you’ve grown from, wear them as armor and they can never hurt you.
Letting Friends Treat You Poorly or Go behind Your Back – True friends are hard to find in this world because seemingly everyone cares solely about themselves. I had a friend in college who once tried to convince my girlfriend that I was no good for her because he had feelings for her. He didn’t care about my well-being or my relationship with her, all he saw was the image of him and her being together, and that was worth more than our friendship.
Don’t Let People Use You As “Plan B” – Getting put on the back burner, knowing that you’re someone second choice, is awful. Don’t spend time with people who only hang out with you when they need something from you or when they’ve got nothing better going on. If they’re not there for you when you need them, they don’t deserve your time or attention.
Don’t Let Anyone Talk Poorly about Your Dreams and Aspirations – Passion is one of the greatest things a human can find in this world, so when you’ve discovered yours, never let anyone demean it or try to destroy it. Pursuing a passion in life will always be rife with challenges and obstacles, and eventually negative criticism or feedback, but never let the opinions of others sway you. Push forward knowing that it’s what you want that matters, and if you want to succeed badly enough, then so you will.