Detoxifying

"With a taste of poison paradise
I'm addicted to you, don't you know that you're toxic?
And I love what you do
Don't you know that you're toxic?"
-"Toxic" by Britney Spears

Have you ever listened to this song and actually thought about what it was saying? The person our dear Britney is referring to in this song sounds like a romantic interest who is no good for her--yet she can't stay away. How unhealthy is that? It seems like common sense that if a person is "toxic" to us, we should stay away, right? It's not that simple.

Lately I have been examining my own life and the people in it. I have some awesome friends and I will tell anyone any day how blessed I am to have such incredible people in my life. However, I also think about old relationships, romantic or otherwise, and realize how bad they really were for me. Does everyone know what I'm talking about? These people may bring drama to your life, say things specifically meant to hurt you or make you feel bad about yourself, or just make you unhappy in general. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that these are bad people, just that maybe it's best that we don't have a relationship with them at all. That isn't to say that they shouldn't have any friends or any romantic relationships, just that maybe their personalities and our personalities don't mesh well together.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately and have come to terms with some lost friendships and further examined what happened. I had some good times with these people. We laughed, we made memories, they made me happy at times, but there is a reason why these people are no longer in my life. In most instances, a friendship ends because someone was unhappy and hurt. I am not saying that I was the one wronged in all of my lost friendships, because I think it takes two people for something like that to happen. However, my reactions to those people and things that they said to me were not good and not typical of me. I want to surround myself with people who bring out the best in me--not the worst. I feel like I'm not making sense, but hopefully I am!

I guess what I am trying to say is that I am happier now. I do my best not to dwell on lost friendships anymore and am thankful for the good times we had. I don't need people in my life who are going to bring drama to it (who likes that?!) or who are going to take away from my happiness. I think it's easy to get wrapped up in wanting to save a friendship or a relationship that is just plain bad for you because it is what is comfortable or because somehow that person has you convinced that you need them in your life. Don't fall for it. Maybe it's easier said than done and I know I still have work to do on this, but my life is so much happier and carefree without having to worry about people that are going to bring me down. Try it and you will be amazed by what it can do for you!

It's okay to walk away from relationships. It doesn't mean the person you are walking away from is a terrible human being. Both of you deserve to be happy and a relationship filled with drama and toxicity isn't the way to get there!