Cut ties with hurtful, toxic people

It isn't always easy to kiss someone in your life goodbye. When it comes to toxic folks who put our happiness at risk, however, it should be a no brainer.

Naturally, we want to surround ourselves with individuals who make us laugh, help us grow, and stand by us in good times and bad ones.

But it's inevitable that, along the way, we will encounter some rotten eggs -- those who seemingly can't bear the thought of anyone but them being happy.

Jettison people in your life who are corrosive to your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Whether it's a friend, partner, relative, or acquaintance, there is no place in your orbit for somebody who's bent on making you miserable.

Life is too short for that, and you deserve better.

I've have had to sever ties with friends -- or so I thought they were friends -- who ended up turning against me.

Perhaps they were jealous of my good grades or other friends whom they felt threatened by. Whatever the reason, I pulled the plug before things could get really ugly.

I'm all for trying to work things out before putting the kibosh on the relationship.

But if you find that respect, loyalty, kindness, and communication are sorely lacking despite your best efforts, it may be time to shut the door on this one.

The only good things that can come out of a toxic relationship are:

Building the strength and resilience to stand your ground against them and similar folks who may cross your path later on

Zeroing in on the qualities you'd expect in a partner or friend going forward

Others seeing their true colors emerge and kicking them to the curb as well

The satiafaction of finally breaking free

Although you may resent ever having met the person, you should never regret a relationship that you learned from, or that brought you happiness at one point.

Relationships change, as do the people in them. Unless you played a role in the breakdown of relations, you shouldn't blame yourself. Instead, learn from the experience and look forward to forging new, better relationships.

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