It is better to be alone than in bad company.
Your dignity may be attacked, ravaged and disgracefully mocked, but it can never be taken away unless you willingly surrender it. It’s all about finding the strength to defend your boundaries.
The manipulators of the world will test you from time to time to see if you bend. Don’t let them intimidate you. When you catch them pushing on you, push back. All it takes is once, and if they get away with pushing you around that once – if they know they can treat you like that – then it sets the pattern for the future.
You are stronger than them! Stick up for yourself and stop tolerating…
1. Bullying.
Bullying is not OK. Period. There is no freedom on Earth that gives someone the right to assault who you are as a person. Sadly, some people just won’t be happy until they’ve pushed your ego to the ground and stomped on it. What you have to do is have the nerve to stand your ground. Don’t give them any leeway. Nobody has the power to make you feel small unless you give them that power.
It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but just as much to stand up to your family and friends. Sometimes bullying comes from the most unlikely places. Be cognizant of how the people closest to you treat you, and look out for the subtle jabs they throw. When necessary, confront them – whatever it takes to give yourself the opportunity to grow into who you really are. (Angel and I cover this in detail in the Adversity and Relationships chapters of 1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently.)
2. Physical abuse of any kind.
If you have survived the wrath of a physical abuser, and you tried to reconcile things… If you forgave, and you struggled, and even if the expression of your grief had you succumb to outbursts of anger… If you spent years hanging on to the notions of trust and faith, even after you knew in your heart that those beautiful intangibles, upon which love is built and sustained, would never be returned… And especially, if you stood up as the barrier between an abuser and someone else, and took the brunt of the abuse in their place…
You are a HERO.
But now it’s time to be the hero of your future. Enough is enough!
3. Supporting hatred.
As Gandhi once said, “An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”
Regardless of how despicable another has acted, never let hate build in your heart. Fighting hatred with hatred only hurts you more. When you decide to hate someone you automatically begin digging two graves: one for your enemy and one for yourself.
Hateful grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something. Forgiveness, on the other hand, is for those who are strong enough and smart enough to move on. After all, the best revenge is to be unlike the person who hurt you. The best revenge is living well, in a way that creates peace in your heart. (Read Buddha’s Brain.)
4. Negativity.
There are plenty of people in this world who will be generous when sharing their negativity and ignorance. And while they may seem quite eager to feed you their rubbish, please remember it’s not the diet you need. You need positivity. So be cautious with whom you let feed your mind and soul. Do not let the negative opinions of others destroy your inner spirit.
Throughout your life you will meet two kinds of people: those who are a drain on your energy and dreams, and those who give you the energy to pursue your dreams. Avoid the first kind and cherish the second.
5. Lies.
If someone fools you once, shame on them. If someone fools you twice, shame on you.
If you catch someone lying to you, speak up. Some people will lie to you repeatedly in a vicious effort to get you to repeat their lies over and over until they effectively become true. Don’t partake in their nonsense. Don’t let their lies be your reality.
Remember, an honest adversary is always better than a friend who lies. Pay less attention to what people say, and more attention to what they do. Their actions will show you the truth. (Read In Sheep’s Clothing.)
6. Disparaging remarks about your potential.
Never let someone’s opinion of you wash away your truth. Never sacrifice who you are or what you aspire to be because someone else sees things differently.
Sometimes even your closest confidants will carelessly crush your potential with smiles on their faces. They will discredit your ideas, exhibiting zero emotional support, and inadvertently persuade you to forget part of the person you are, along with the person you are capable of becoming.
Don’t let weak minds convince you that you aren’t strong enough. You are.
7. Attempts to decide for you.
When you feel out of control or a little lost it can be tempting to look for someone willing to take charge of your life for you, just to alleviate the pressure. But before you do consider this: if you put a collar around your own neck and hand the leash to someone else, you’ll have no say about where they lead you in life.
When it comes to exercising your inner genius, you must listen to your inner voice. Try what you want to try, go where you want to go and explore the depths of your own intuition. Don’t accept false choices just because someone else doesn’t feel what you feel. Don’t let others leash your dreams and your future. If something feels right, it probably is. Give yourself the fair chance you deserve.
Final Thoughts
This is your life. You may not be able to control all the things people do to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. You can decide not to let their actions and opinions invade your heart and mind. And above all, you can decide whom to walk beside into tomorrow, and whom to leave behind today.
Your turn…
What would you add to the list? What’s one behavior you will not tolerate from others? Please leave a comment below and let us know.
Photo by: Alpha Designer
Arzu says
Numbers 4 and 6 ring especially true in my life. I’m sick of being surrounded by negative people who do nothing but tell me what I should do, or that what I do is not good enough.
Vincent Nguyen says
I don’t really have anything to add to this list but I’d like to ask you two and the readers for your opinions. How do you deal with negativity from family?
Both sides of my family are incredibly negative and I find myself drained, unhappy, and very unproductive when I am around them. I’ve asked a similar question before in the “Toxic Friendship” article.
P Delfosse says
Vincent,
I would say your tactic will depend on whether or not you live with them. If you don’t, just think of yourself as a healthy duck, and the negativity is merely water that sheets off your feathers. It wouldn’t be easy at first, it will take time to train your mind to accept this. Understand that the negativity is not your burden, but theirs and let it be theirs. If you live with them, I haven’t a clue, unless you can move away.
S.T. says
I gotta say, this post is awesome.
I’ve been trying to cut a few people out of my life recently, some people who I thought were “mates,” but they’re actually backstabbing, nay-saying anchors. A drag on my life and happiness. And after having seen the bottom of the barrel two years ago (lost a child, a marriage, a house, a father, two uncles, an aunt and my dignity), I’m now back on the road to smashing life out the ballpark. But these people continue to do the same ol’ same and can’t understand why I won’t sink into oblivion with them. Their lack of understanding lead to bullying, physical confrontation and deceit.
And what I’ve done is forcefully push them away as they’ve crossed the boundaries of honor and decency and friendship.
Unfortunately everyone else around me has questioned my actions and some of them have said “Get off your high horse” which has led me to question my innermost values. I did what was right, I KNOW I did what was right. And reading this gives me reason to smile and stay firm.
In the saddle of course.
Donetta says
This is a wonderful article and at the moment I have nothing to add to the list. I have found that family is a stronger positive or negative force than any other. I have tolerated things from a couple of family members that I would refuse to tolerate from anyone else. It’s hard to close people you love out of your life, but just now at 36 years old, I’m learning how. I also feel I have a good ability to see both sides of things. I don’t think they truly want to hurt me or cause me stress, but as I grow as a person, they feel insecure. So, in their struggle of losing the bond or connection of the person I was, they bring negativity into my life. For my sake and my daughters, I have had to push them on the back burner and give them time to decide if they are ready to grow with me.
Vincent Nguyen says
P Delfosse, I do actually live with them and I do try my best to avoid them. It’s sad actually because I’ve only started living with them last July. I used to go out in the living room all the time to spend time together. After a month or so, I realized how negative and critical they were of the world around them. With this realization, I distance myself when I can and avoid staying around when I can avoid it.
I wish there were a better way around this.
Ali says
I’ve been bullied throughout my life, but it was my brother who actually was the biggest bully. He also fits 4, 6, and 7. I decided that after my mother passes and the estate is divided that I will say adios to him.
Patrik Edblad says
Vincent, that sounds like a really rough situation. Have you talked to your family about it?
Jenny says
Triple love this morning’s post!! I’ve had to deal with #s 3, 4, and 5 in the past. I’d add manipulation to the list which your introduction mentions. After engaging them and giving them what they wanted, I finally realized the best thing to do is to just walk away with my head held high. No Contact. No Engaging. I can honestly say I can take on anything/anyone now and my capabilities are endless. I love when I read something so validating 🙂
T says
Overall, I really liked this article – all of these are great points.
One thing though, not forgiving is worlds away from hate. The push and pressure to forgive others can be supremely damaging to victims of all sorts of trauma. It’s all well and good to choose to forgive, but one can live a perfectly content life without forgiving atrocities, but simply moving on from them.
Cat says
This could not have come at a better time for me. I am struggling daily with negativity from family & loved ones I see on a daily basis. It is so hard to still stay true to who I am and see the happiness and positivity in life. I am so grateful for finding this website 🙂 I think the thing I struggle with the most is when others are discouraging and in a cranky mood themselves, taking a step back and realising it’s about them and not me. It’s easier said than done somedays and it gets me down. But reading these articles and others help, as does my amazing supportive husband 🙂
Carrie Ballard says
Interesting perspectives, but some of this all sounds a bit too positive for me. Are you proposing to surround ourselves with only the positive? Some of the best lessons we get in life come from criticism, confrontation, and ‘negativity’. Why would you walk away from someone who confronts you with your own outdated ideas based on your past that are dragging you down? Chin up, think about what they said/did and why you allowed it to hurt you. Then you are dealing with the dark side of gold.
joy says
I refuse to have anyone in my life who doesn’t add value to it. It makes for a much better world for me.
Ellen says
Great post!
The most important insight for me is: my life is not ‘about them’, but it’s about me. It’s about the choices I make, the people I choose to hang out with, the plans I make, the dreams I choose to follow.
My life is about me, finding my way and building a great life and a great world. And on this way, I choose to hang out with the people who choose to support this dream.
Curious Walker says
Great words to ponder.
I have soo much respect for your advice and this blog!
Linzy says
My negative husband & I are divorcing & it will be a relief to have this toxic presence gone . Sad but my son is acting hateful and disrespectful towards me. He is my only child and love him but can’t stand more years of contempt and resulting depression in my life . I need to move on with happy life – time to cut off relationship?
Ashley says
Hey Vincent.
Just wanted to reach out and let you know that you are not alone in this. I live at home as well and like you, the atmosphere is not the best.
I’m not going to say that I’ve found a solution because I have not but here’s how I like to look at things : you now know what you do not like and what you never want to be like as a person.
Character building you may say(:
Andrea says
#7. the inner voice knows. Once you take time to listen to it, everything becomes more clear.
#5. What people do is also very important. Doing takes more effort and is a more reliable indicator. I am working on this one. I try to “walk the walk” and not “talk the talk”.
joy says
Vincent,
True peace is being around chaos and still having peace. Sometimes we can’t control our environment but we do have full control of what we put out. And right now I’d just tell you to give out love. Be yourself, be positive, and just love.
I don’t know your full story of why you’re there and for how long but you are there at the moment. Take all this in because maybe this is part of your own personal growth.
marie says
I work for a teacher who repeatedly is vicious while smiling the whole time. People think she is so nice; they don’t know who she is. It is not in my nature to be unkind back; that’s not who I am. I love the students that I work with, so I put up with her and three others who are her puppets. I just do my job and do my best to not allow them to ruffle my peace. I’m not quick with come backs, so I don’t know how to back them down.
Gillian says
Strengthen yourself on the inside….meditate, pray – focus on yourself and the people that you truly want to have in your life. You will find that gradually you have internal boundaries that do the work for you and people will fall away from your life. Family will not disappear necessarily (even though we think we would like them to) you will just find that you are in different relationships with them and the things that used to bother you become less and less.
I realise that I did not have boundaries and let anyone into my life and allowed people to tell me what to do. After four months of recovery from an abusive relationship, I a m starting to see the fruits in the form of me making conscious decisions about who I want to be around. I’ve never done this in my life before. Mostly, I clung on to whoever was around!!! This list is so useful in getting clear on how we are allowing others to treat us. It used to be when I read a list like this I would say “that’s not happening to me” because I felt that the form of bullying or lying was a mild form and therefore did not matter. Not any more!! That so called “mildness” was creating hav0c in my life. There’s no such thing as a little bit of lying, or a little bit of bullying – it’s still lying and bullying.
CL says
Negativity can be such a strain and the people that are always like this don’t even realize it.
Susan says
Just what ‘I’ needed today to pass on to a very dear friend, who has just left. All you mention here I have been practicing for years, for obvious (past related) reasons they have benefited me ENORMOUSLY & still do. Deistancing yourself from negative people WORKS & doesn’t even cost any effort at all, just willingness, determination, love, awareness of yourself.
I have, literally, no one in my daily life is toxic.
Happy Day, Life, LOVE Sue xxx
Liz says
Disrespect. I have no tolerance for it.
Marilyn says
Ignoring me while professing to care about me.
I’m going through a lot of emotional pain right now, but hear nothing from anyone at my church during the week.
Joyus says
Vincent,
First of all my heart goes out to you. I never really experienced a toxic family until I got married. I choose to look at them as teachers to show me how I do not want my life to be. the other point is if they are in front of the TV all the time they are being negatively programmed without realizing it. It is THE most destructive drug on the planet. You can drop down into your heart anytime and let your heart guide you. Perhaps the reason you are back in their living space is because your light/love are what they need to wake up!
The duck analogy above is what my father always told us when we were growing up. Also tell them you love them, I know this will be difficult at first, but trust me, it is worth the effort. Bless you and take good care.
Argo says
These are all so timely for me and this list brought such perspective by seeing it in black and white. Sadly it appears that 3 through 7 hit quite close to home. The problem is, I brace myself and try to ignore or question/challenge the (4) negativity, (3) supporting hatred, (5) lies (I suspect), (6) disparaging remarks and (7) overriding of my decisions … (they don’t all happen at the same time nor all the time) that eventually it becomes so pervasive and perhaps has become a pattern of behavior, that it wears me down and I feel manipulated and, honestly, humiliated. Where do you draw the line and break the cycle in a committed, long-term relationship, and say enough is enough? And can anyone suggest books or resources that might help retrain the mind (as P Delfosse suggests).
Jan says
Exactly how i have been treated by people i considered friends..just because you are a friend and i have known you a long time it does not give you the right to treat me like a child and discredit my entire life.
Di Kennard says
Excellent as always; you two are angels. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.
Amber says
#4 definitely hits home for me. There are two people in my life whom I’ve known for a long time and they are emotionally draining with their limitations and constant criticisms. I have come to realize that it is their own insecurity that has made them so miserable and I choose not to partake in it. Yet they love me so they always want to hang out. I don’t want to ignore them but I have to.
Mrs. Bell says
I’ve recently ended a relationship/friendship that I found out was based totally on LIES! At first it was difficult to comprehend how a person that you’ve communicated with every day for a couple of years could spew LIES that long. I was truly fooled but not anymore. I don’t hate the individual but I do feel sorry for him. I know he had a good friend in me and I’m sad the frienship wasn’t reciprocated. Thank you for this post today.
Bridget Lee says
Vincent: I’m so sorry to hear what you’re going through, especially since I’ve experienced that myself. I moved back in with the parental units after my divorce, and while I”d changed my ideals and views on many things, they had only become more cynical and critical than before. While I loved them deeply, I realised it was time to cut the ties to them. The negativity they emitted was totally draining. I looked for lodgings elsewhere as soon as I could. Once I relocated I felt so much better. Perhaps you should think of finding a place of your own, or sharing a flat with a compatible person. I wish you the best of luck.
Jan says
Vincent,
I can relate very well, having both parents and in-laws who were/are negative. I fortunately married the most positive, supportive person and he has helped tremendously. My father is in a nursing home and I’ve had to come up with strategies of dealing with his negative, angry ways, for when I visit. He does get to me at times, but I remind myself that he chose an angry, unhappy life and I’ve chosen differently. He has dementia so I can redirect the conversation but I do remind him that nothing is worth getting angry over, and there’s always another side to the story. Your parents are teaching you something, unintentionally – as mine did. Good luck and stay strong to your beliefs.
Mimi says
It can be difficult to strike a balance, reducing your exposure to negative people while being kind enough to let them know you care for them. It may be necessary to speak plainly to them about their negativity, possibly framing it as a suggestion that they try to be more positive rather than giving them a reprimand. I like to make statements such as “I used to think and act a certain way, but found it was making me unhappy. I’ve gradually formed a habit of thinking, speaking and acting more positively and kindly, which has helped me as well as others in my life.” This or other statements can be altered to suit the situation and people involved. If nothing is said, it may be that nothing can be expected to change.
maga says
@vincent nguyen: as much as i love my parents, i have to admit that my dad is an increadibly negative and judgemental guy while my mum is constantly worried and waiting for a catastrophe to happen. i had this technique when i was still living with them to take notes of every single opinion or remark i heard. it’s too easy to just let them slip into your mind when you are distracted. but when you read them later in your alone time you can notice the absurdity of some of those remarks, think and decide for yourself if you agree or not. it sometimes takes time to hammer it into your head that some of those opinions you dont agree with, especially then they have to do with your dreams or potential. but its possible, and when you hear it once again you will be like: yeah, whatever, your opinion not my business. and at least for me it helped to stop being so constantly angry with my folks. i dont know it would work for anyone else or am i just strange, but anyway – good luck!
Amandah says
Great list!
The one behavior I would add to the list is constant whining and complaining and blaming. While it’s true that you need to vent your feelings in a healthy way, constant whining and complaining and blaming gets old after a while. How long can you continue to blame your parents, childhood, government, etc.? To quote Pastor Joel Osteen, “Get over it.” His sermon “Get Over It” is powerful. You may want to download it.
Tune-out the whiners and complainers in your life. You’ll feel lighter. 🙂
Marla says
This post has incredibly touched me today! Thank You!
Greg says
Vincent, I believe focusing too much energy towards a group of negative thinking people is a general waste of time and energy and can be incredibly exhausting. You probably already know that trying to change another is impossible, but simply trying to protect yourself from a constant barrage of nay-saying and inane complaining can be soul-crushing. Trust me, I know.
I’m by no stretch of the definition an expert. But I would suggest, if you don’t have one already, finding something that truly makes you happy, reinforces your own positivity, and provides a feeling of release when you need it. And then focus on that above the negative people around you. For example, I run. I love it. It makes me feel good. When I’m stressed, it’s meditative. And when I’m overwhelmed, it’s therapeutic. These positive effects help when I’m confronted with negativity, both internally and externally. And the changes in me are undeniable. To my surprise, some of the positive attributes running has sown in me can be contagious even though that is not at all my goal and I spend zero energy actively trying to change anyone around me. I guess it’s like that “be the change you want to see” type idea. It’s not always easy not to be distracted by negative forces around us and success varies from day to day. When being inundated with negativity from those around you, sometimes all you can do is get away from it and move towards whatever it is that makes you feel stronger. I’m still working on this as well. Good luck.
I recently read something that I totally agree; “It is better to be alone than in bad company.”
David Rapp says
Vincent: get the heck out of there.
S.T.: My guess is your not on a high horse, its just a horse, and they are still on the ground. You have forced a change, and they are still working through it.
I would add a change in perspective. I reread this where I am doing these things to myself. A double eye opener for me. My inner critic does a lot of things, and man am I over tolerant of it. Talk about a bully!
I would also add “Anti-change Agents,” those people who sabotouge, disable, resist, and berate any attempts to change. Every comment above has them listed out. They are everywhere. They like things to the same, no matter how much they complain, because the FEAR of change is worse than what they experience now. The formula they use to run their lives only works if nothing changes or everything stays the same. If you change, they change by default, if only by perspective.
When I moved to Georgia and then Texas, nobody was on my side. Two best things I ever did.
Robinsunne says
The one thing that I would add is a little ray of light for those who are coming out of a bully/abuse relationship. Rock on with your awesome self. OR Atta Girl/Boy. OR I hear ya, I’m with ya, I love you.
I like what you have written here. It is so clear and good. AND sometimes tiny steps are in order. So the message can be to feel great with every effort we each make towards the goal of living in a stand-strong-trust-our-intuition culture. We aren’t there yet, though your post shows that we are getting closer. Imagine someone writing an article one hundred years ago encouraging us to “stop tolerating physical abuse of any kind”, or to warn against “fighting hatred with hatred”. Where would the advertising biz of the ’50s and ’60s have been if we all took your advice to “Try what you want to try, go where you want to go and explore the depths of your own intuition.”
So we are moving and crowing as a whole. We can have a lot of hope. And if some of our tribe is just beginning to throw off the shackles of abusive relationships to learn their courage, we can all stand with them and send them our cheers and hugs.
There is no shame in our first tiny steps. When we are first “taking off the collar and leash”, when we are first holding our own power, we deserve lots of love, naps and green, leafy vegetables. And sweet companionship.
Thanks for saying all of these brave, creative words out loud.
DW says
Hey Vincent, P Delfosse, Donetta,
Have a look at the tapes from Caroline Myss. She is a genius of a healer, and has a lot of powerfully helpful material on strengthening our insides to deal with toxicity on the outside. ALL her stuff is AMAZING. One of them, “Self Esteem, Your Fundamental Power” talks about how family can cut you up and how you can escape that and create a healthy self inside yourself. She also has one on helping the Caregiver stay healthy (Essential Guide for Healers). That one is about in spite of giving over to others, not losing yourself through their sickness.
Her work is part of the tapestry that saved my life, literally.
Have courage, Vincent. Some day you will rise up from the ashes like a phoenix, and nobody will be able to stop you.
Destiny says
Thanks! For sure, this post is an insightful boost of motivation to move with this week in a better direction.
DW says
@maga and Greg are onto something important – taking the toxicity OUT of yourself, and being immersed in behaviors that separate yourself from the madness. This is healthy, beautiful, affirming, uplifting, strongly healing.
Vincent, look at all these posts and this stream of love and support you have generated! Looks like your family members have not succeeded in knocking it out of you after all.
Vincent Nguyen says
First of all, thank you SO much for all the support you guys are giving me in response to my question. That really means a lot and shows how caring the community both Marc and Angel have created together. That’s beautiful.
@Patrik: I have several times but my family isn’t the type to communicate or take feedback. They’re well aware of what I think of their attitudes towards everything and none of them have put in the effort to work on it. This has caused to several arguments but nowadays I find myself just ignoring everything.
@Ashley: That’s true! It really brings some perspective.
@Joy: The basic story is that I’ve always lived with my grandparents for my whole life. Not really sure why, but that was a choice I made as a child. Maybe I knew better when I was younger? Anyway, since I never really lived with my parents, I idolized them and never saw anything wrong.
So I decided to move from Southern California to Arizona last July to attend college over there. I love everything about that state because I’ve got a great life, but the only thing wrong is the terrible family environment. I am back in Southern California now until late June so right now I’m just enjoying the freedom along with the company of my old friends.
@Joyus: I actually had that thought very recently, Joyus! They give me a measure of what I do NOT want to be like and it is indeed a valuable lesson.
@Bridget: Definitely will be finding a place on my own as soon as it is viable. 🙂
@Jan: Thanks for sharing your story, Jan. I’m glad you are consciously working on your reaction.
@Maga: That is a great idea. I’ve only been taking mental notes but perhaps it’s good to have something to refer to when I need to. That definitely helps and I thank you for sharing what works for you.
Oh, thanks for reaching out to me by email as well, Maga!
@Greg: I definitely have countless rituals that help me maintain my sanity through all this. Aside from social activities with friends, there are a lot of therapeutic things I do for myself. Meditation is one of them, taking the occasional walk to recalibrate, tennis (I guess this falls under social, but this is the most liberating), and writing.
Lately I’ve also been covered in work which I absolutely love because I am passionate about it. Perhaps I’m lucky I have so many escapes.
@David: Will be as soon as I can!
@DW: Thanks for the recommendation. I haven’t heard of her but if she specializes in this sort of thing then she is worth looking into.
Thanks again everyone. I really appreciate your support!
Judith says
Vincent..I’ve lived a life with a negative and angry mom. I’ve always believed that my mom had issues due to her own difficulties of her past. It was always hard to not take things personally. This weekend my mom expressed her sadness. This is the very first time in 60 years that she actually expressed inner feelings to me.
Compassion …be compassionate. If I do my half in being a compassionate family member and be the best that I can be, I will not take it personally. It is my hope that through my compassion, Mom will come out of her shell and start to love herself.
Debbie says
You inspire me to be the best possible me, you make me happy to be the forgiving kind person I am. Although my family sometimes tells me being forgiving & kindness is a weakness you make me feel that it’s OK to be me & that I am not alone in looking for the bright side of life . Thank you for being there!!! For making me feel good about being me 🙂
Darcy says
If people around you are doing any of the above, and you don’t want to completely sever them from your life, you might first try establishing and maintaining solid boundaries. There is an excellent 4-step process in “Coach Yourself to Success” by Talane Miedaner that I highly recommend.
Personally, I would cut people out of my life only as a last resort, especially if they are family. Sometimes the negative people in life are there to teach us things, if only to give us an example of what to avoid becoming…
Julia says
Hi,
I woke up today with a dull mood since I just had a rough break-up yesterday. I tried and tried to make myself happy and look forward to the positive things in life. But my mind just continued and there was these battle of positive and negative perspective on the break-up raging inside my head. Unfortunately the negative side was winning. And then I checked my mail as I always do a voice inside my head was wishing that some new post from Marc and Angel would be lying in my inbox. And there it was perfect post. Just what I needed. Thank you so much. I rigorously read all your posts and they are like my lifeline. They always show me silver linings when I fail.
Thank you.
zvioletz says
A great reminder for those of us who forgot to speak up for ourselves.
The best revenge is to live your life better than those who hurt you and still show them respect because you are not them hence, you don’t act like them.
Never give your leash to anyone!
Now, we just have to act it out.
Thanks Marcandangel
V says
So true. Such a great reminder that we all need to maintain boundaries, especially with those who try to walk all over us.