They tried to destroy you, but failed

At some point, all of us have had a brush with someone intent on making our lives miserable.

Perhaps it was a toxic boss, a jaded ex, a shady friend, or even someone within your own family who proved untrustworthy.

But guess what?

You're still alive. You survived. You emerged with a keener awareness not only of others' motives, but of the immense strength that lies within you.

In an ideal world, we would get along with anyone and everyone.

People would appreciate us for who we are, whether we own a BMW or a Versa, a small loft or a capacious mansion.

They would prize us just the same whether we are meek or outspoken, bookish or adventurous.

Alas, behind some nook or cranny is some bitter soul who wishes for their misery to rub off on someone in his or her orbit.

No matter how hard we may try to please everyone -- how nice and accommodating we are to others -- someone will always take issue with us.

And oftentimes we haven't done a single thing wrong to arouse envy or animosity in them.

It could just be that they find our laugh annoying, our quiet nature disconcerting, or our sunny disposition suspect.

There will always be something about us that rubs someone the wrong way. In many cases, they're basing their evaluation on how they perceive us to be because, in reality, they don't know us that well.

That being said, do you really want to spend so much of your precious time trying to placate people who may not give a fig about your well-being?

One thing is to lend a hand to those who need it and caring about what your loved ones think, and another is letting just anyone govern how you live your own life.

By refusing to let people derail your sense of peace, you've won!

Perhaps you stood up for yourself, which made the other person gain a newfound level of respect for you, or you simply walked away.

Either way, kudos to you for not only surviving, but coming out more empowered than ever before.

Rest assured that when you effectively convey to others that you will not tolerate abuse, belittling, or disrespect of any kind, it will register.

You deserve to be happy just as much as your friends, co-workers, and ex-boyfriends. Never change for anyone but yourself, never modify your life simply to appease individuals who may not be in your life next week.

Maybe they'll think twice next time before trying to encroach on your happiness -- or that of anyone else.

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