This Spring, Clean Yourself Of Toxic Relationships

It’s that time of year where people engage in what’s called, “spring cleaning.” Everyone knows what that is so I won’t go into much detail. You clean out the closets, clear out the garage, get rid of that old dusty clock you bought that never really had sentimental value.

The purpose?

To give your living area some space to breathe. To give your living space a good clean. To get rid of things that are just causing clutter, things that have been deemed useless or unnecessary.

But what else should we always be ridding ourselves of? The spring clean concept should apply to all things in our lives, and honestly, we shouldn’t have to wait until spring to do it.

People, places, and things that dampen our ability to be happy and do positive things must go. Today.

Because why not?

The good part about a good spring clean is that is entirely up to you what has to go. Sure, you may have a friend or family member over helping out and they may say, “Do you really need those ugly gold shoes? I’ve been meaning to tell you how hideous they are.” But the truth of the matter is that if you love those gold shoes, then you keep your gold shoes. You plan on wearing them out Friday night and you could care less who doesn’t understand how great they are. The shoes make you feel good: keep them. You are in charge of figuring out and deciding what will stay in your space and what will go.

In life, we build relationships daily. From people we’ve known since we were kids or people you met while you were in college finding yourself, or the mail guy that you’ve been having small talk with for a year or two now. Human interaction, for the most part, is important. It’s important to feel connected to others every now and again.

But again, we must determine and be smart about which interactions benefit us and what interactions do not.

Keep it simple. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and make you feel good about who you are. Surround yourself with people who respect you and are there for you during hard times. Surround yourself with people who can be genuinely happy for you when it’s time to celebrate. Surround yourself with people who will try to help you the best way they know how when you hit rock bottom. Whether it is an intimate relationship, a friendship, or a family member, if they are unable to do these things, they may not need to necessarily be a part of your life. There are some people who serve as “associates.” These are people you have small talk with and no expectations. But people who you are around on a regular basis, who know things about your personal life…well, there are expectations.

A lot of people struggle with cutting ties with individuals because they are either a family member, or because they’ve known them for years, or various other excuses they may come up with. But the simple truth is this: people who may share a laugh with you or share a drink or two with you on a sunny day aren’t always a part of your long-term plan to a happy fulfilling life. Relationships are give and take. If your relationship is one-sided you need to evaluate why you’re always giving to never receive. In life, we need balance. Healthy relationships are the icing on the cake, it just makes things a little sweeter.

It is spring. Do what is best for you and your life.

If you’re not ready to face negative relationships in your life, there may come a time when you have no choice. You may decide that you’d rather not go through the trouble. All of these choices are up to you as you are the ultimate decision maker. However, as far as having peace of mind, take care of you and clear out the clutter.