Fostering healthy and meaningful relationships is one of the best and most effective ways to improve your success in business and your fulfillment in life. Whether you seek advice from a life coach or business mentor or you find clarity from discussing your current situations with a lifelong friend, family member, or spouse, feeling connected to people has a very direct impact on your personal and professional well-being.
However, it’s important to pay attention to the ways these relationships affect and influence our daily lives. Relationships change just like people do, and not all relationships are going to be perfect forever. A relationship that was once a source of happiness may no longer be providing you with the same health benefits it used to. And that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with admitting a relationship has run its course as long as you can identify when it is no longer providing you with positivity, happiness, and fulfillment. Read these 5 signs to make sure you can recognize the red flags of a toxic relationship.
You have mismatched life goals
You learn and grow best when you are influenced by people who share common life goals and similar values. These relationships are a constant reminder to be better and do more in the pursuit of your dreams. But if you are constantly surrounding yourself with people who are chasing an entirely different dream or lead a way of life in contrast to your own, the relationship is likely providing more harm than good to your own life path.
Your relationships take more than they give
Whether they drain you of time, energy, or emotion, relationships can be toxic when they take more from you than they give. Healthy relationships should be mutually beneficial and established on the fundamental purpose to build each other up and meet each other’s needs. Whether it’s to provide insight and advice or offer support, every relationship you have in life should be a source of fulfillment––not the opposite. If your relationship is feeling a little one-sided lately, it may be time to reevaluate the purpose of this relationship in your life.
You constantly judge and criticize him or her
There are virtually zero benefits to a relationship where you find yourself constantly judging and criticizing the other person. Often times, these negative habits are rooted in selfishness or jealousy and drain you of valuable energy that should be used in more beneficial areas of your life. Not to mention, the reason you find yourself in constant criticism is because of a disconnect in life values, and your partner is likely judging and criticizing your life values as well. And no one has the time, energy, and effort for a toxic relationship like that.
Spending time with him or her feels like a chore
If making plans with someone feels more like something to check off your to-do list rather than spending enjoyable time together, then something in your relationship has gone off track. Whether you feel drained from his or her constant negativity or your conversations and time together no longer feel as fulfilling as it used to, it may be time to let the relationship lapse.
The only thing you have in common is the past
Sometimes relationships evolve from time and circumstance depending on your stage of life. But people move through life at different speeds, and keeping relationships that cause you to dwell on the past may actually be hindering your ability to advance in life. You need relationships that keep you proactive and forward-thinking, so you can constantly work towards your future instead of staying in your past.
More than anything, make sure the relationships in your life are nothing short of fulfilling because you don’t deserve anything less than that.
