The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    Get rid of toxic people consuming your personal life

    William Schmidt's Headshot

    Throughout our life, people will come and go. I think we can all agree for the most part that some have been for the better and others, not so much. I believe that every person I’ve encountered has helped to shape who I am today. I live with no regrets. I may still think, dwell and get sad about something in the past, but I’ve learned from even the worse of mistakes and strive to always improve myself for the better. 

    One goal that I started working on during the middle of last semester is getting rid of the toxic people in my life. Some of the people I had to “let go” of friendship wise are people that I have known for years, but our time together had come to an end.

    I will say this: I care deeply for the friends that I have, maybe too much at times. Others, I have tried to help but at the end of the day, I have to become a little egocentric and focus on myself. Some people in my life had just become so toxic they were stopping me from being the best person I could be. Yes, it did hurt, but one of the wisest decisions I did was letting them go. I am not saying that we may not be friends in the future if the fates allow, but for now, the toxicity has got to go.

    Also, at the end of the day, we all need to realize that we are in college. We are here for a reason. College is way too expensive to just show up at. If you have no idea what you want to do with your life, I suggest you take a semester off and figure that out. It is not a sign of weakness or fault, sometimes we just need time to figure our lives out. That aside, we are here to get a degree. And if you don’t let go of those toxic friends or even acquaintances, then it will mess with your overall emotional state and possibly cause detrimental damage to your academic career.

    You may always focus on that other person, wonder how you could help them, go out of your way and over the top to help them; the list of what all you may do to help someone besides yourself is endless. Ask yourself though; how is this person benefiting me? If you can’t think of something, I highly suggest that you find a way to get them out of your life even if they were your best friend from way back when. People change. Friendships change. Life is always changing and moving forward even when we want to scream and need a break.

    One personal life experience that comes to mind when I look back on my past are the friends that I made while in junior high that I kept throughout high school, one specific friend coming to mind. 

    When college came, it was safe to say that we had grown extremely close to one another but our lives were vastly different. I was unsure of where I was going, I would eventually need to take a few semesters off to figure my life out and life would also throw some unexpected curve balls that would make me even more different than I was at the time. As for my best friend, he would move along to complete a business degree with honors as well as finish a semester early. Needless to say, due to the complications of how different our lives were, the fates did not have it to where we should be long, lasting friends that were always together until the end. 

    If I would have kept him as a friend, I am sure that I would have been that toxic friend in his life. I would have done nothing but slow him down from moving on to his bright future that he now has. Today, we still talk here and there, we aren’t the closest of friends like in the past, but we are acquaintances and I believe that it is okay to have a friend that was once the closest of friends become an acquaintance.

    Another college experience that comes to mind, which I know is far too common for some, was how I dated someone that was wrong for me which made her a toxic person in my life. Needless to say, I lost another close friend while in college. It was not the person that I was dating, it was actually a friend that disapproved of the new girlfriend I had. My friend advised me to call it off because it was wrong and I would only get hurt in the end. But, by dating this person, I had become a toxic person to that friend and needless to say, we had to stop being friends because I was not benefiting her life anymore due to who I was dating. Thankfully, we are able to have casual conversations now because I learned from my mistake and I am no longer dating that person who was wrong for me for our relationship was completely toxic by the time we broke up. 

    I will let you know that yes, I do miss some toxic people that I let go of. But, I believe that is a superficial miss. I am happier, my grades are doing better, the list goes on and on but I will say this, after letting go of those toxic people in my life, I have found a close-knit group of friends that I love and love me back. I have joined an organization, APO, that I love and that makes me feel like I fit in and furthermore, my health has improved. All in all, letting go of the toxic people is a win in my book.

     
    Leave a Comment
    Donate to The Lion's Roar
    $600
    $1000
    Contributed
    Our Goal

    Your donation will support The Lion's Roar student journalists at Southeastern Louisiana University.
    In addition, your contribution will allow us to cover our annual website hosting costs.
    No gift is too small.

    Donate to The Lion's Roar
    $600
    $1000
    Contributed
    Our Goal

    Comments (0)

    Comments and other submissions are encouraged but are subject to The Lion's Roar Comments and Moderation Policy. All views expressed are those of the author and should not be interpreted as the views of The Lion's Roar, the administration, faculty, staff, or students of Southeastern Louisiana University.
    All The Lion's Roar Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *