Keep or release

Who could have imagined, almost one year ago, that we would still be quarantining, masking, and Zooming from home.

Because it is winter, and because we are still uncomfortable going to a gym, my husband and I drove to the mall to walk and raise our heart rates a little. Desperate times…

In the car, I turned to him and said, “Thank goodness we like each other. This year could have been really miserable.”

When we are young, we don’t have much choice who we are surrounded by. We are bound by our circumstances – the family, the community, the culture we are born into. The more we spread our wings and experience the world, the more opportunity we have to meet new people.

Once in a while, we should take stock of the people we surround ourselves with and decide if we really need them in our lives.

• Does this person lift me up or tear me down?

• Is this relationship one sided – me always giving and them always taking?

• Do I dread having to interact with his person?

• Is this person a drain on my energy?

Adulthood affords us the right to choose the people we want to engage with. It is also our responsibility to disengage with those people who are not positive contributors to our lives.

One way to be thoughtfully selfish is to be intentional about the people we spend time with and allow into our space. We must shield ourselves from users, manipulators, and energy vampires. Who should we keep and who should be released?

You have a choice. Choose wisely.

Who is is worth keeping around? Who should you release?