If it costs you your peace of mind, it's not worth having.
There are certain things in life that are extremely hard to achieve and easy to lose. When we start understanding the value of such things and how they make our lives better, the thought of losing them starts dreading us. Peace of mind is one such thing. Through our happiness, sadness, daily hustles, relationships, etc., we mostly look forward to being at peace with ourselves.
There are days we do not want to get out of bed because of certain people who put us off, who trample our self-worth and disturb our sanity. If you decide to cut them off your life and never allow them in, so be it! People who make you think less of yourself are nothing but emotional manipulators who could never fill themselves with positive energies and look for opportunities to vent their negative vibes on anyone with a soft heart.
So if you think you have had enough of them and you no longer want to be their bait, it is OK to show them the door and shut the door tight. Yes, it will affect you. After all, you are the empath. You will feel a sharp sense of guilt for letting go of a family member or friend. But you can't make the mistake of going back to them or showing them your vulnerable side again. After you let them go, take some time to marinate in your own thoughts and emotions and soon you will experience liberation and a light feeling in your heart that comes from cutting out negativity.
But if you start blaming yourself again, remember these:
When a cancerous tumor grows in the body, one has no option but to get that removed from their body. And that is only because of health reasons. Therefore, when a toxic person or a sociopath, drains you out of your positive energy by making you feel worthless, judging you, and causing you emotional trauma it is only logical to cut them off your life and maintain your sanity and mental health.
Sometimes they give you deep wounds because they do not come across as bad people. They might be the most charming person you ever met or they might seem very intelligent and knowledgeable but slowly you realize that toxicity runs deep in them. They can either be narcissists or dominators who feed off kinder, softer people. In this case, it becomes crucial to be ruthless, straightforward and only think about your own well-being. Because the more you let them linger in your life, the more damage they will cause.
Who are friends? Generally speaking, they are people around whom you can be who you really are and not get judged. They are people who will support you in your endeavors and also keep you grounded with their honesty. Under no circumstances do friends make each other doubt themselves. If you are not comfortable around a few people or if you feel that some of your friends do not uplift you but only drown you with constant evaluation and value judgments; they are NOT your friends.
Now that you have understood that a particular bunch of people is not your friends, it should not be difficult for you to cut them out of your life or you should not feel guilty for having done that.
People who rob you off of your peace of mind, your confidence, in fact, your urge to live life, are very skilled at doing so. And as cruel irony goes, the tender-hearted take the longest time to cut them off their lives. They might start off by being extremely sweet and kind to you. But in the due course of time, their manipulative trait takes over.
They will criticize you for the most menial flaws, or they will resort to passive-aggressive measures like making you the bad person in front of your friends, or constantly being sarcastic with you, etc. Not just that, they can also try to make you blame yourself for every unwanted occurrence in your life. Traits like these are not just toxic, they can push you into depression. Therefore, you have to realize that they have been cut off from your life because of their own activities and one cannot make you feel guilty for prioritizing your well-being.
Disclaimer: This article is based on insights collated from various sources. The views expressed here belong to the writer.
