Toxic people undermine your success.
I hate to label people as “toxic”, but
I can’t think of a better word for
people who tease you, make fun of your positive life choices, and don’t support your goals or respect the time and effort you spend to achieve them.
In my experience, it’s not that these people are cruel and out to get you.
The real issue is that your success
signals their failure.
You’ve heard the story (or maybe
experienced it yourself) of the
person who tries to lose weight, and their overweight friend undermines their success by tempting them with food or making fun of how much time they spend at the gym. Likewise, if you’ve decided to eat at restaurants less so you can build an emergency fund, a toxic friend might complain that you’re “cheap” or “no fun” because really, he knows his own finances are a mess and doesn’t want to address it!
But the problem with having toxic
people in your life is that it can
affect your attitude and your ability to reach your goals. When the people around you are constantly making negative remarks about your new, positive habits, it can start to get to you.
If, for example, you go the extra mile at work and a coworker makes fun of you for being a perfectionist, it can be tough to take. Or if you’re excited about moving into a smaller home so you can save for other investment and your friend makes fun of your house, it stings.
At best, it’s hurtful. At worst, it can undermine your financial and career success.