There is nothing more inconvenient in this world than start a relationship and find out that it will be an exhausting one.

Most relationships usually present themselves as toxic from very beginning, when you feel completely depleted after a brief conversation, or when you try to reason with someone and nothing that you say or do seems to make things different. As Spiritual beings (most of us are real empaths), we have a hard time saying no or simply discarding someone. When it does not appear to be the proper thing to do, what can you do to avoid those “end of the road” relationships?

The trick to avoiding them is to learn how to detect their early signs and gain the knowledge of keeping away from their harmful side effects. This is possible to do while, at the same time, you will be able to keep a polite posture and your set of values intact!

1. Learn if the person that you are interacting with has a tendency to make or feed drama. If noticed as a recurrent situation in conversations, be aware that you may be into a potential toxic relationship. Gossiping is also a good sign to help you perceive a prospective toxicity in future interactions.

2. Always be alert if the person you are conversing with tends to blame others for their problems. This is symptomatic sign that this person may not be one that takes responsibilities for their actions. In prime relationships, mature hearts usually interact better when everyone is aware of the influences of their thoughts and actions. Avoiding responsibility is definitely a "No No".

3. We are Human beings and we understand the pain and suffering of others very well. Nonetheless, we should always be aware of people that are always presenting themselves as needy and even as black holes. They are what we potentially call “the train wrecks” - just an accident waiting to happen. Remember that to help others is fine, but always use the common sense of that old Chinese saying: "Always meet the other in the middle way” Someone that really wants to be helped will walk to the middle way to meet you and be helped…not the other way around.

Relationships are often complicated; there are many different faces at play at the same time. Learn how to identify the ones that can harm you, and politely say "No". There is nothing wrong with preserving your ways and your spiritual path.

Namaste.