Something that I have learned this past year is that not everyone who accepts you in your life will actually want you. They’ll want a version of you that isn’t really there. A small piece of you that they think defines you or a piece of you that they want you to embrace fully. Even though their perception of you is wrong. People are very stubborn and will only choose to see you from their own perspective. They won’t choose to see how you want to be seen.

Everyone in life is temporary and there isn’t any way to change that. We do have the power to give them less time with us. We don’t ever have to stick it out with people who make us feel small. The goal in our lives is to always be the best version of ourselves that we can be on a given day. Some days we struggle and we need to rest ourselves and heal our heart and/or mind. Other days we can overcome many obstacles life throws at us.

The harsh reality is that not everyone in our lives wants us to be the best version of ourselves.

There are people who want us to sink down to their level. There are people who want us to see us as less because that is how they have always viewed themselves. Some people are so concerned with wanting to be relatable that they want others to fail so they won’t be alone in their self-pity. There are people who see themselves as the star in their life and see everyone else as a supporting cast member and nothing more than that. There are going to be people who are self-centered and will push you aside for their own selfish desires and needs.

If there are people in your life who poison your spirit, heart, or mind, then it’s okay to separate yourself from that person or that group of people. Sometimes we’re dealt a band hand. We have to put up with people who do disrupt our energy in some way. It’s important to know that we can overcome any amount of toxicity or negativity others may throw at us if we work on ourselves. If we learn to control our responses or impulses when we are around others. If we refuse to absorb others unwelcoming thoughts and attitudes. If we know that we deserve peace of mind instead of conflicted and uneasy feelings.

It’s always your choice if you allow others negative energy and false perceptions affect you. If you are allowing negative people to affect you today, promise yourself that you won’t allow it tomorrow.