"When you get bit by a snake, you have to
suck out all the poison, that's what I had to do, suck all the poison out of my
life."
-Cady Heron “Mean Girls”
It’s
been awhile since I last posted, but I felt the need to after the last 24
hours. Nothing bad has really happened
to me, but, I’ve come to the realization that I’m surrounded by too much
negativity… and it’s starting to drag me down.
While
I’m the happy smiley girl that you know today, I wasn’t always that way. It took many years for me to find my identity,
as well as my zest for life and motivation to succeed. Going through this process most certainly
wasn’t easy, but the end result is that I really do appreciate who I am and the
struggle I went through to get here.
Herein
lies my two pronged problem: I care
about people a little bit too much AND needy people always seem to find their way
to me. I don’t quite know what it is… for
example, mosquitoes, no matter where I’m at or who I’m with, seem to find me,
suck my blood and leave me bruised and full of welts, no matter what type of
bug spray I use or how many layers of clothing I wear.
Needy
people also seem drawn to me and eventually leave me emotionally bruised and
full of welts. While I’ve learned to
love myself and honor my struggle and past, I still have to learn to set
boundaries to keep these emotionally needy people at bay. If I have $20, I can loan you $5. However, if I only have $20, I can’t loan you
$40. In monetary terms, I get it…
however, in emotional terms, I don’t…. and, thus, end up giving more of myself
to others than caring about my own emotional happiness.
This all
came to a head last night when I had an argument with an immature and emotionally
needy (now former) friend. While I
realized he was always being a selfish and an emotional vampire, I tried my
best to help him. However, no matter how
much I tried to give helpful advice and care, he resisted and ended up making
himself more unhappy. Despite the fact
that he was always asking for my advice for every little thing, when I gave it
yesterday, he replied with a ‘who asked you?’
While the short answer is, “you, IDIOT!” the longer answer involves
knowing when call it quits… which is where Cady’s quote comes into play.
Last night
was a teaching moment for me. Although I
realize that I tend to give too much of myself to others, the exchange with
this drama queen gave me some clarity on the situation. I realize that I have been bitten by the ‘needy
people snakes…’ and that their venom is making me unhappy. Last week, I was talking to a colleague,
telling him about my weekend. His only
response to me was, “Karine, you need to spend time around happy people… these
people are not happy.” While it seems
like an oversimplification of things, he’s 1,001% correct. Not it’s a matter of ‘sucking the poison out
of my life.’
To be
happy, you must surround yourself with happy people. While this isn’t a new idea (“Think and Grow
Rich” and a multitude of positive thinking books espouse this), it’s something
that I just needed to hear in order to start comprehending it and, more
importantly, applying it to my life.
As an
aside, do you remember Hercules’ labors?
(Break out that Edith Hamilton!) Hercules was commanded to complete 12
labors in order to make up for murdering his family (oops!). These labors were all thought to be so
difficult, that they were impossible. King
Augeas, who had more cattle than anyone in Greece, housed his herd, including
bulls, goats, sheep and horses, in the Augean Stables, which had never been
emptied nor cleaned. Hercules’ 5th
labor was to clean out the Augean stables.
He managed to complete this feat in one day, ripping a hole in the front
and back of the stables, then rerouting the Alpheus and Peneus rivers through
the stables to wash away all of the crud and crap.
Much like
Hercules, I cleaned out the Augean stables known as my Facebook profile. Over time, much muck, crap and dead weight
has accumulated and, in ‘sucking out the poison,’ I finally eliminated many of
those who were negative clouds or just dead weight in my life. While some may be bothered or hurt by my
stable cleansing, it’s a necessary step in finding a better, happier existence
for me.
It’s a
gradual process, but I need to consciously recognize that being a good friend
doesn’t mean letting someone drain the life out of me. I will be there for you, but I cannot do it
for you…. Or, more plainly, I will be your cheerleader, but I can’t be BOTH
your cheerleader and quarterback!
I'm one of those "wanna help" people too, and I have the scars to show it. :/
ReplyDeleteThe trick is knowing when to jettison...
Another great piece! :)