Relationships are unavoidable in the society we live in. It is a necessity of life. It is important. So, we need to tread carefully in this territory. We not only need to find our feet in the society but also need to safeguard our dignity and status in the society. We need to protect our identity as well as our interests.
It takes all kinds of people to make this world. So, you have to be careful about who you associate with. You have to be careful about who you usher into your inner circle. You have to be careful about the friends you make. You have to be extra-careful about the person you fall in love with. And, you have to be careful about the way you play it out in family relationships—particularly if you are part of a large joint family.
You must remember that if you are a simple person, every other person you come in contact with may try to manipulate you. You may be a nice person that the society admires for niceties you lavish on others. But you must keep tabs on the cost of your nicety. If you get short-changed by every other person in your life, you are compromising your interests at a heavy cost.
No matter what kind of relationship you are in with a person, you must learn to set their limits. You must learn to define the borders on all sides. Once you do that, you will get a red alert from your brain when someone crosses the limit. And, at that point, your instincts should automatically guide you to tell them: this far…and, no further…
You must learn to stop them at the very first instance of transgression. If you keep tolerating nonsense, it will end up in nuisance. It will end up in toxic relationships. Then, it would be too late to do anything.
Once you reach that stage, it would be a make-or-break situation. You will suffer—no matter which way you decide to go. No matter who is in the wrong, toxic people will make you believe that you are in the wrong whenever something goes wrong. They will create a guilty conscience in you.
If you contest their false accusations, they will get back by spoiling your reputation in the society. They will find 101 ways to nail you if you don’t dance to their tune. You must remember: ‘While it is nice to be nice, it may be dangerous to be nice sometimes.’
Pick and choose your relationships rationally. Avoid toxic relationships by nipping them in the bud. Always keep an eye on what is good for you in a given situation. Don’t take shit from anybody. Stand up for yourself when you are offended. Dump toxic relationships if you entered them by mistake. That is the way to keep yourself hale and hearty.
