You and your friends have been through a lot together, and you’ve each helped to shape one other’s lives. But sometimes, that’s a problem instead of a benefit. If you’re still hanging out with any of these people, it just might be time to move on to greener pastures. Why? Because they’re holding you back!
Friends are good, but not all of them are good for you. If you’re friends with any mooches, narcissists or emotional vampires, it might be time to reassess your circle. See the full article for more on why you need better friends to keep you on the right path.
Are Your Lame Friends Holding You Back? Here’s the Answer.
The Mooch
They can’t seem to find a job. They promised to pay you back for the dinner you shared two meals ago. They moved out of their parents’ basement once… to sleep on a friend’s sofa, and then another friend’s sofa. Mooches are slow grow up, and friends and family often find themselves picking up the slack. At some point, no matter who they are, you need to draw the line.
The only way to end the mooching is to start getting tough and stop playing your part. If the mooch owes you money, set a firm timeline and stick to it–and stop bailing them out if they conveniently forget their wallet or beg for another loan. And if none of that works, it might be time to tell your mooching friend to take a hike.
The Narcissist
Narcissists are incredibly charming and can be difficult to pick out, even when you really think you know them. Unfortunately, they often end up making the cruelest of friends. This is because they can only feign empathy, making them inconsistent when it comes to emotional support, often coming across as selfish or overly judgmental.
Even worse, the narcissist will view your success as their failure, and they’ll sabotage even their best of friends if they feel their standing being threatened. Don’t be sabotaged; find the narcissists holding you back and cut them out.
The Emotional Vampire
Their life is one crisis after another, and they’ve unloaded the weight of each and every hardship onto your empathetic shoulders. They direct every conversation, which usually ends up being mostly about them, and you walk away feeling drained or even depressed. The emotional vampire will tap you dry if you let them, and it still will never be enough.
If you’ve tried to “help” too many times, but your friend’s world remains in intolerable chaos, you might have already done all you can. Unfortunately, this type of person rarely changes, and so your only recourse might be to sever your ties and move on.
Your friends are a part of who you are, so choose them wisely. Some toxic people have the capacity to change, but as hard as it might be to accept, many do not. Surround yourself with friends who are willing and able to grow with you, people who give as much as they take. Be good to yourself by cutting your toxic ties and instead choosing people who will be good to you.
~Here’s to Your Success
