When You Hang Out With Slimes. . .

. . . you will eventually become a slime yourself.

Or, surrounding yourself with people you respect and admire.

This is really a twofold topic, but it all comes down to the same idea which is that you become what you are surrounded by.

As an adult I have the absolute power to control who I spend my time with, who I trust, and who I devote my time to, so there is no reason why I should be letting toxic, negative leachers and emotional vampires into my life anymore.

Having just moved to a completely new city has some very distinct advantages. One of these is that it's a perfect setup for me to cultivate a new friend group full of people who inspire me to be the best version of myself. I have always said that your romantic partner should be this kind of person, but it's not a trait limited to that special person in your life, it should be something that everyone you choose to spend time with does.

So now it's a matter of trusting myself. I'm a perceptive person, and if I know anything, it's other people. I've seen enough of them to know the red flags that fly in my face when I meet someone who is toxic, but I tend to give people way too much benefit of the doubt and let friendships with these types of people get so far that I am entrenched and invested in them, and they become difficult to break off. That is something I can no longer afford to do.

So the next time I'm wandering around the forest and find myself face to face with a slime, no matter how cute that smiling little face may be, I must slay it and move on. Because hugging a slime will only get you slimy.