Telling It Like It Is

Telling It Like It Is is one of my favorite blogs because Lin Burress does just that: She writes about topics that do or have impacted her on a personal level. And she is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects such as “friendship, marriage, divorce, children & teenagers, in-laws, elderly parents, blended families, abuse, abusive relationships, blogging, researching and learning more efficient ways of writing, journaling, the best ways of increasing readership, etc.” She puts a great deal of thought and effort into the articles she publishes, frequently providing links that afford readers an opportunity to perform further research themselves.

Lin Burress tells it like it is.

On August 11, 2008, she delved into a subject that struck a chord with me, as well as many other readers: Toxic Relationships - Toxic Family Members. And it is that post that has earned Lin the Post of the Day Award.

Every family has at least one member who is toxic because he/she drags other family members down and leaves them feeling “angry, worn out, deflated, belittled, ridiculed or confused.” But few people are willing to speak out about the manner in which that individual impacts family dynamics. Still fewer bloggers have written about the very real phenomenon.

Lin defines toxic people as “extremely negative, miserable, whiny, jealous, inconsiderate, financially irresponsible and entitled, manipulative, narcissistic, selfish, disrespectful, gossip mongers, mentally and emotionally abusive bullies who have no boundaries.” Toxic people usually suffer from extremely low self-confidence or self-esteem. Therefore, as Lin reminders her audience, their “toxicity has everything to do with them and nothing to do with you.” Still, that can be small comfort when you are being manipulated by someone with toxic characteristics.

Lin offers suggested coping mechanisms, acknowledging that, in extreme cases, it can become necessary to “physically and mentally distance yourself from the negative and toxic people in your life, which may or may not include cutting the person out of your life entirely.”

Lin asked her readers to share a personal story or ask a question about their own situation. The result is that the comments are as enlightening as the article itself, so make sure that you read them, along with Lin’s excellent article.

Congratulations, Lin, for your willingness to tackle “squirm-worthy” topics head-on, speaking the truth as you understand and perceive it. As you aptly point out, a cyberspace dialogue can often “touch the heart of someone having similar experiences or difficulties, [and reaffirm] how much easier it is when you know you are not alone.”

And congratulations on receiving the Post of the Day Award!

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Technorati Tags: Post of the Day Award, Telling It Like It Is, The Rising Blogger

Tagged as: Post of the Day Award, Telling It Like It Is, The Rising Blogger