Why you should let go of toxic people!

Hello my dearest Story Time friends from around the world, how have you been? I am back with another Story Time episode and in this Story Time edition, we are going to be talking about why you should let go of toxic people. It's been a long time since I have written a self-love article. That's because I have been trying to do my best to keep up with uploading and writing about my food and travel adventures in different places around the world. It's still a process, but hey I am a one-woman team on this blog. That, and my royal crown might be spreading itself too thin at times. Don't ask how come I am always busy, at this point, it has basically become a lifestyle. I try to keep it healthy, and I have to admit that having a healthy lifestyle is something I sometimes struggle with. But self-love helps me improve where I can. The self-love that I have to give myself inspires me to keep pushing through. It doesn't matter how high the mountain is or how heavy the obstacle that I face might be, I just take a deep breath and remind myself that I am worthy and capable.  Because I understand that life wasn't meant to be easy for anyone, I was inspired to create the self-love section on my Story Time blog. Maybe my words can be the soothing advice that I wish I had when I went through certain things. Judging by the views and reactions that I get from the loving souls I come across I guess the voice that motivated me to write these articles was right. But to me it's not about the numbers, it's about helping even one soul who reads this. If you enjoy my content and want to become a member of my Story Time tribe, feel free to subscribe to my blog. You can do that in the sidebar or by entering your e-mail address when that Story Time U.F.O. pops up. I am really appreciative of all the love that I receive on my blog.💓 But also for all the love that I receive for my writing work in general. Especially when it comes to my books, I was kind of surprised there.

I am curious about where the rest of the journey will take me. But on the journey of living my life, and achieving my goals I have learned some valuable lessons. I am not going to be like one of those content creators that acts like I am perfect all the time. Even in my leadership style, I don't do that. Just like the rest of humanity, I know what it's like to struggle! 😥😩 Sometimes I have my I am just tired moments of trying to keep everything together. But I also know that the universe loves me. With time I have gained experience, and that experience becomes a tool. Sometimes I just find myself realizing that even the bad things that we experience with others are a part of the package. 

After all, we are all damaged souls just trying to find our place in the world. I have always been very aware of myself and my surroundings. More than I'll probably show or admit but in my observations of dealing with people I want to share with you my perspective on why we should let go of toxic people in this Story Time article. I know right, 😤leave it to an INFJ writer to write an article about why you should let go of toxic people. Hear me out on this. When some of us are young we seek friends, people who we can trust around us. For others, their family members provide that companionship. We think we are around the people that we can trust, and share our love with. But often times those who are close to us, end up hurting us the most. Even that is all in the game of life, like someone that I learned a lot from once taught me. Here are 5 reasons why you should let go of toxic people:

                       1. Your mental health is a priority

I know the path might not always seem clear, especially when you are in a situation where you feel lost. Or that the odds keep stacking against you, but no matter what happens to you, you just end up trying to please the people around you. Even the toxic ones, especially the toxic ones. They sense your heart and will hang on you like vampires, and drain your energy. Self-love teaches us that we must prioritize our own health. How can I water you, when I am empty? I must first fill my own cup. If there are people in your life who have a negative effect on your mental health you need to start practicing boundaries. Identify who you need to let go of, for your own sake. Being a social worker, I speak to a lot of people, and the things I see, ...💔 can break your heart. That's when I realize that I am not stuck in the worst hole. Believe it or not, there are a lot of people who are being abused by the toxic people around them, but they don't have the heart or means to let go of these people. When I say heart, I mean that their hearts are not there for themselves. They put the others person's needs and wishes above their own. No matter how many times they get manipulated they stay around to seek validation that they will never find. Living with the hopes that if they do better tomorrow, in some way or another they would receive love and appreciation from their abuser. When the sad reality is that they are probably only there to attend to the abuser's needs. If you are in such a situation, please learn to love yourself. Value who you are and listen to your own needs. Take care of yourself first!

 2.  Toxic people will hinder your growth and development

Sometimes toxic people might fool you into thinking that they care about you, but they don't. They only care about what you can do for them, your role in their life is dependent on their need for you. In this case, you need to realize that what you bring to the table has value. I am also one of those people that believes that people serve a role in our life, and sometimes their roles come to an end. When that needs to happen we need to be open to self-love. This helps with the healing. Some people can't leave the toxic people around them, because they live with them. This can be for example toxic family members or because they work with them. No matter what your scenario may be, remember they can't hold power over you if you learn to recognize your value. Toxic people are selfish, they don't care about your progress or development. They display a lot of narcissistic traits. In some cases, they purposefully sabotage your plans and dreams, or they try to get in your head to make you doubt yourself. These people are red flags, if you have no other choice but to be around them, start making a plan to improve the quality of your life. Stress shortens your lifespan, if they can't respect your boundaries or change their behavior after healthy communication I advise you to think of a plan to create your own safe healthy space in life. Put in the effort and work to make that happen for you, and if it's really bad maybe seeking mental or professional help can make all the difference. Stand in your power, don't give up, and remember that you deserve to be happy. The moment you let go of toxic people, it becomes easier to focus on your own growth, success, and personal development. In some cases, one might even think that the universe makes it all work out in such a way that sooner or later you will realize who and what you need to let go of in order to achieve peace.

3. Surrounding yourself with loving and caring people helps you shine

When you are surrounded by people who love you and genuinely care about you, they help you shine. They make your soul feel at ease, and most of all they make you feel like you aren't alone on this journey. Those people are the ones you should treasure. Loyalty isn't a question but a statement when you are surrounded by good people. Even when you are wrong and make mistakes, they have the courage to correct you and guide you. It's because they want to see you make the best out of yourself that they will push you to keep doing good. They aren't there because they need something from you or because they want to take advantage of you, they are there because they love the person that you are. Those are the people who we take care of, like our own. They are deserving of the tea in our cup because they helped make it. If you boiled the hot water, they brought the tea leaves. But if you have toxic people around you, there is no room for the good people around you. Because toxic people will want to sabotage your relationships, or wouldn't want anyone to take away your devotion from them.

   4. Toxic people add no value to your life, they only take

Another reason why you should be strong and let go of the toxic people in your life is that toxic people add no value to your life, they only take. They are selfish and will deplete your resources, mental health, and energy, and if you aren't careful even the love you have in your heart. If you want to attain a quality of life you have to respect yourself enough to set standards. The people who do add value to your life will help you grow, glow and build. They will wish well for you, and even help you on the journey where they can. But toxic people won't be there to help you when you are the one that's dealing with problems. If they are having problems, they expect you to sacrifice your entire world and universe to attend to their needs. To be there for their bidding, and to break your back to help them crawl out of the pit.  The moment that you need them and they can't take anything from you anymore they won't bother budging from their seats.

         5. Toxic people take pleasure in your suffering 

We have reached reason number 5 of why I think that you should let go of the toxic people in your life. Remember we can still love and forgive people without having them play an active role in our lives. We decide how much access someone has to us. If you know that, it becomes easier to stand in your power. You could be in pain and suffering but a toxic person wouldn't care as long as it does not affect them. You might have a lot of empathy for them but in return, they have no mercy for you. You could have literally saved their lives and they wouldn't mind stabbing you in the back. If you have a kind soul, don't let toxic people rob you of your kindness. In your pain, they find joy, because it makes them feel better than you. When they feed their ego with that sense of superiority their abusive traits become more expressive. Stay alert in 2023 guys, I like to believe that there are some good people out there in the world. But not acknowledging that there are toxic people that negatively influence other people and society would be too idealistic, even for me. The reality is that if there were only good people in the world, there would be no crime or corruption. We must protect ourselves from being consumed by that same energy. Just like how a healthy apple wouldn't want to end up in a basket full of rotten apples. And if you by chance are a toxic person, I'll pray for your heart to find healing so that whatever is hurting you will stop making you hurt others. Take good care of yourself, be safe, and until next time right here on Story Time.