We’ve all seen the memes about cutting out anyone in your life who drains your energy or doesn’t appreciate you. But those people too are clearly suffering and maybe we can help them. If we cut every person out of our lives who isn’t perfect, we’d have to cut everyone out of our lives, including ourselves.

So where’s the line? How can we show compassion and forgiveness, but still protect ourselves?

This article goes into setting healthy boundaries, protecting our mental peace, and how to show love and compassion to others without putting ourselves in a vulnerable position.

Every single person deserves to be treated with love, respect, and dignity. Toxic situations and toxic people have no place in your life. You don’t have to sacrifice your peace for someone else. You don’t have to put yourself in a position to be taken advantage of or abused.

Sometimes, the greatest act of love is a kind and peaceful no.

No to cruelty,

No to trauma, 

No to toxicity.

We are each treated how we allow others to treat us. A peaceful no is more positive than a yes that comes from a place of wanting to please others.

Every one of us deserves relationships that respect and honor each person, not relationships where you have to change your truth to make someone feel better, or change your opinion to keep the peace, or bite your tongue because you feel unsafe expressing yourself.

It is each of our rights to cut off people who are negative or hurtful, if done in a loving and compassionate way.

So much of what we see online talks about cutting toxic people out of your life and removing yourself from toxic situations. And while that is very important, it’s also important not to go too far, not to cut out someone who may tell you the truth because they love you. Not to push away someone who challenges your negative patterns or holds up a mirror to help you grow.

That’s why it’s so important to introspect, to look inward, and to meditate on these questions:
Am I cutting someone out too soon?
Am I failing to show compassion to someone who needs it?

Because so often, people are acting out from hurt and pain. Many of these people are not toxic, they are simply traumatized.

As society becomes more fragmented, fractured, and isolated, it’s more important than ever to create strong bonds with people we can truly be ourselves, with people we can be compassionately honest with, and who are worth fighting for.

Every single one of us has gone through experiences — big or small — that have shaped us in some way. Even little comments from childhood can stay with us for our entire lives.

It is only together that we can truly heal, let go, and share our troubles and joys. Connection is healing. Studies have shown that close communities heal faster.

This is why ancient kings would banish people from the kingdom as a punishment worse than death. Isolation hurts more deeply than we realize.

It’s important to be truthful and not passive-aggressive in our closest relationships, because passive aggression only leads to more pain down the line. Only in truth and honesty can strong relationships be built, hard times overcome, and even certain endings handled with compassion.

With this clear-eyed perspective, your heart will guide you, it will tell you which relationships are worth investing in and which ones you need to lovingly release.

Because you are worthy of love and generosity — and you deserve to find it, share it, and spread it.