Choosing (To Avoid) Negative People

We have all had friends who consistently irritated us with their negativity. Maintaining these friendships can sometimes reach a point of draining our energy or enthusiasm. If this is a damaging pattern you see in them, then you should evaluate if it is also damaging to you.

It can be easy to overlook their behavior by saying to ourselves, "That's just the way they are" or "They've always been opinionated". We often know these people from our personal history rather than consciously choosing them.

If their behavior continually taxes or batters us, then it is time to consider ending that relationship.

We are drawn those relationships that consistently give us more of something (energy, love, attention, kindness, etc.) rather than taking something from us.

This is a constant in the relationship universe; we have to get more out of it than we put into it.

If maintaining a relationship consistently costs too much (in emotional or other terms), then it will drain us.

We have all known a young person who dated someone that we thought was not a good match for them. That young person often learns that fact for themselves when the other person disappoints or hurts them emotionally.

A healthy process of understanding is to assess what happened in that relationship and then to adjust our choices to avoid those personal characteristics in the future.

Who are the "right" friends and partners for us? Those that increase our sense of interest or energy or feeling good about ourselves. And, this positive feeling continues to occur over time and more often than not. These people consistently provide support, concern or love rather than taking from us emotionally.

Consciously choosing our relationships is a large part of Insightful Living. We need to maintain those friendships / partnerships that help us live fuller and happier lives. And, avoid the rest.

Live Well (And Consciously)