Stay away from those who hurt you

Steer clear of those who hurt you more than they love you.

Avoid those who drain you more than they replenish you.

Stay far away from people who bring you more stress than they do peace and joy.

Distance yourself from those who try to stunt your growth rather than applaud it.

I know what you're probably thinking: In principle, this sounds fine and dandy, but you couldn't possibly avoid every person who occasionally makes you feel like crap, from your toxic boss to your meddling in-laws.

To a certain extent, that's true.

But one of the most effective ways to navigate relationships with difficult people is to not take what they say or do to heart.

If you take everything they say personally, you're essentially surrendering power over your emotions to them. You're enabling them to win. No one has permission to make you feel bad unless you grant it to them.

Remember, many of these people are unhappy and disgruntled in their own lives, so they see to it that others feel the same way. Misery loves company.

People who do this are negative, selfish, insensitive, and not deserving of your time. If you can avoid them, do it sooner than later. That will afford you more time to spend with those who actually enrich your life.

There will always be that one person who is jealous of you or seemingly dissatisfied with everything you do.

That's okay. You have bigger fish to fry than cater to their insecurities.

Your life is too good -- and you have so many great things that lie on the horizon -- to let someone crush your spirit.

Let their behavior embolden you to achieve more goals, reach new heights, and find new ways to get even more pleasure out of life.

As long as you're content with your life, that's all that matters. You deserve to be happy, and no one is going to succeed at making your life any less wonderful.

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