At this time of year it is especially important to keep the toxic people in our lives at a distance. I absolutely love the holidays.  The pace

we all live our lives today is hectic and busy and having these people add to that does not help at all. Sometimes they make you just want

to hide under the covers!! Here are some tips that may help you stay out of the covers & deal with the toxic people in your life this holiday season!

Today we are going to talk about toxic people (or as I like to refer to them- Life Suckers) and the impact they have on our lives.

Owning a salon, and just being in the salon business for the past couple decades, I have met and seen a ton of

different types of people. I have also built a lot of relationships from these people, some of whom I am as close to as

family. How many of you in the salon industry can understand this & relate? And how about all of you out there that

just share everything and anything with your stylist, or nail tech?! We tend to get to know you all so well, and learn all

the family secrets & then some!

Some of those people in our lives are the toxic ones. The ones that when you see their number on the caller ID, your

heartbeat speeds up a bit, your blood pressure rises, you cringe a little on the inside & just do NOT want to pick up that call

or answer that text. You know what i’m talking about… those are the toxic people in your life. They are the ones that always

just suck the life out of you. They manipulate your feelings, and thrive on chaos. They are self centered, always making everything

about themselves, interrupt you, talk over you, gossip about people behind their backs- They do this in the hopes that you will

agree with them and then go & tell the other person what YOU said, creating friction between the two people & in turn holding all the

cards in their favor. They disguise insults inside compliments leaving you wondering what exactly did they mean? They NEVER

take the blame and totally justify their actions with excuses. They love drama and negativity and would love to see your demise, just

so they feel better about themselves.

So how do you deal with this? I am going to give you some tips on dealing with the toxic people in your lives and finally gaining control

of the situation once and for all. Last year I started a journey of personal development. I did not realize I was letting everything around me

control me, including my businesses, my clients, etc. I just felt out of control, overwhelmed and pulled in a thousand different directions.

Some of my problem was that I was NOT in control of my emotions and my expectations were way off track.  I had let all the boundaries in my

life dissolve and was always REACTING instead of doing what I needed to do. A few people in particular seemed to just suck the life right out

of me, and I realized I had to do something about it NOW.

1. ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES

Make sure you communicate in a kind, clear way exactly what you will and will not accept as behavior. Make sure you do not react to what

this person is saying, doing etc. You are actually in control of YOU, so you do not have to engage. Removing this person from your personal

space and only allowing them in your life in a controlled environment leaves you holding the cards.

2. STICKS & STONES THEORY

I am sure you heard the saying when you were a kid. “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” Well, that is a true

statement. Do not let the things these people say affect how you feel. These people like to break down others to feel better about themselves, and

knowing that it is not about you it is about them is powerful. Everything they say to you is a way for them to express their own shortcomings.

3. GAIN CONTROL OF YOUR EMOTIONS

This is something that takes a long time to master. It took me into my 30’s to actually completely master my emotions. (& I still lose it from time

to time) You cannot let someones crazy make you crazy. You are the only person that controls you, so do not give toxic people power over you like

that! You cant control what they do or say, but you sure can control how you react to it. Do not let them take you down the rabbit hole with them.

It is NOT worth it, and you will never win at that game.

4. RISE ABOVE IT

This is where you separate yourself from the insanity. Remaining calm and rational you can gain perspective on the situation. Ignore them and

sometimes when it deems necessary, remove them altogether.

You want to surround yourself with people that lift you up. Inspire you to be more, better, and positive. Life is too short to be surrounded with negativity. I

realized after years of being around certain people, they did not make me better. As a matter of fact, they brought out the worst in me. Though I also take responsibility for my

own behavior and allowing them into my head. I finally do NOT let that in anymore. I just smile and politely say no thank you. Or I hang up, or I just check out.

I only want people in my life that make me a better person, that inspire the best in me. By dealing with these toxic relationships, you will be happier, and your stress level will go down.

You will be able to be SO much more productive in all areas of your life since these toxic behaviors will not be taking up precious space in your head. They say you are the average of the five

people you hang around with the most. Think about those people you have in your life and what they inspire in you? Do they bring out the best in you or the worst?   “BEAUTIFUL THINGS

HAPPEN WHEN YOU DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM THE NEGATIVE”

Here’s to having an amazing toxic free holiday this year! Comment below if you have any tips that have helped you deal with the toxic people in your life. Thanks for taking a moment out of your busy lives to spend it here. I appreciate each and every one of you & please share this message if you feel more people need to hear this.