When I was 8 or 9 years old my best friend and I had a toxic relationship. He was demeaning, outrageously competitive (as was I) and not trustworthy. Unfortunately, at that age I was unable to identify what the issues were, let alone speak up, declare my boundaries and change the situation. I didn’t have the tools at that time in my life. There was one thing I knew for sure: I didn’t like the way it made me feel.
Over time, I began to understand more about who I am and how to surround myself with the kind of people that treated me the way I felt I deserved. It took quite a bit of time. Well into adulthood.
We must strive to see clearly where we are in our lives without a distorted view due to our own blind spots. Can we parcel out and identify the aspects of our lives where we’re struggling in order to clean them up and evolve?
We can indeed, but we must first be able to see clearly where our trouble spots lie.
Clarity is key.