Having self-respect means having to cut toxic people out of your life.
The journey to self acceptance and happiness is long and difficult when you are surrounded by abusive, toxic people who you view as partners, friends, and family. When you embark on this journey, you will find that the closer you get to your destination, the more you will hear people say you’ve changed. The truth is, you really will have changed on your journey to a healthier and happier life.
1. You begin putting yourself first
You will realize that in order to be happy, your own needs and desires need to be met. For this reason, you will stop making everybody else in your life a priority and begin focusing on first and foremost making yourself happy.
2. You no longer make time for liars
After years of being lied to and listening to excuses, you no longer have the time and patience to forgive. You realize that in order to be happy, you have to become selective in who you give your time and energy to.
3. You do not justify your actions
Before, you might have felt as though every decision needed to be justified. On the path to self-fulfilment, you will understand that when it comes to your life, the only opinion that matters is yours.
4. You keep your personal life private
Years of sharing your problems with people has made you see that not everyone has your best interests at heart. After being hurt numerous times, you will find that very few people deserve to see the vulnerable parts of you.
5. You no longer feel uncomfortable saying ‘no’
Doing everything you can to please and impress people has only brought you pain as very few appreciate the things that you do. On your path to happiness, you will become aware that the only person you need to please is yourself.
6. You stop living by socially-accepted norms
It will no longer matter what society expects of you as you learn that you do not need to live by society’s norms in order to lead a happy and fulfilling life.
7. You will learn to embrace change
After finding out that leaving toxic people behind is better than succumbing to their abuse, you will begin to embrace change. That is, you will see that staying in a relationship out of fear is worse than facing the unknown.
8. You will lower your expectations
When you have been through abuse and you have cut off the toxic people in your life, you will change. You will understand that just like you can choose who and what you want to tolerate, others will too. Therefore, you will no longer have unrealistic expectations or feel that you are entitled to people’s time.
Although the journey will be long and difficult, the happiness you find at the end will be worth it.