The Poisoned Well

In school years ago there used to be this activity where one kid would stand on a chair and other kids would pull their arms and legs down to get them off the chair, while other children would help them climb back up. This was to show that the people you surround yourself with can either bring you down or help build you up. This is an incredibly realistic analogy of having toxic people in your life. They bring you down and impede your spiritual journey. They dish out ruin to others’ lives so that they can remain happy themselves.

One of the biggest negative effects of having a toxic person in your life is that they are extremely manipulative. Manipulative in such ways that you may not see and end up easily falling for it. They can convince you to stray far away from the ones around you that will lift you up and support your life journey. Manipulate you into believing that your life plan is not worth following and that their ideas are a much better option. One day you’ll wake up in a life that you never wanted, finding that all the people and things that you once loved and held dearly have been pushed out of your life.

Also toxic people are incredibly narcissistic and your needs and wants will fall to the wayside. They will demand your attention, your sympathy, and your complete loyalty; all while giving you nothing but exhaustion in return. If you’ve had a bad day and need a friend's shoulder to lean upon, well their day will have been worse and you end up being the one taking care of someone else. This will leave you emotionally depleted. We all need people to lean on sometimes but this isn't a reciprocated type of relationship. Your needs will never take precedent. 

Toxic relationships, no matter the type romantic, familial, professional, or social will add a major amount of negativity to your life. Nothing you do will ever be enough, there is no making them happy. Happiness comes from within and they would rather impress their trauma and negative emotions upon others rather than beginning a personal, spiritual journey to healing their own soul. The joy they find in life comes from taking and spoiling your joy. Your journey through life will never prosper through this angst.

Toxic is defined as poisonous, and harmful or unpleasant in a persuasive and insidious way. That's exactly what having a toxic person in your life is, it's a poison to your success. A darkness at the root that will bring ruin to your work, spiritual, emotional, and personal goals. A toxic relationship will eat at your energy, hope, and optimism so that you stop trying to live a life full of vitality and just live for that person. If this is happening in your life it's time to take the antidote and quit that toxic relationship. Once you do you’ll quickly see a change in yourself and your life.