An Open Letter To Those Afraid to Walk Away

Let’s face it, we all have people in our life that we could do without. Friends and family that try to scam money and time from you, those that yell and manipulate when you don’t do what they want, those that put you down for your tastes or choices, and so on. Dealing with these people day after day can be exhausting, and can have a major impact on one’s mental health. Yet, we sometimes still deal with them because we feel obligated to.

Well, guess what? You probably aren’t.

All in all, if someone is causing you issues or you genuinely don’t like being around them, you can leave. Got a person that will constantly guilt you into thinking you need to do stuff for them? They can probably do it on their own. Got a friend that keeps telling you what to do and say for your own good? Probably just wants company that follows what they want. Got a friend who keeps falling on hard times and asking for money? They aren’t going to learn better if they keep getting support.

Now, situations are complex, and it’s not always as black and white about how toxic a person can be. It will take time, deep thought and possibly even an outside perspective to know if you need to cut somebody out of your life. But, if someone truly is weighing you down when they can stand on their own; don’t be afraid to leave them behind as you move forward.