Do you know why there are people who are always cynical about anything, even the good things? As human beings develop a defense mechanism when they experience something undesirable, suspicious people most likely developed such character from being taken advantage of in the past. 

We cannot possibly control how other people act and treat us. We cannot always read their real intentions toward us. We can only help and protect ourselves from people trying to bring us down or take advantage of us. Here are some ways that could help us:

1. We should learn and practice saying no. Whether we admit it or not, some people take advantage of those who seem afraid to decline requests, even when the request would put the latter at a disadvantage. It could help prevent such from happening if we learn to say no. While helping other people is one of our duties, it doesn’t mean that we should never decline requests. We can only give what we have and are capable of giving. Never allow yourself to be held back by the need to please everyone. We should not feel wrong about declining requests. 
2. We should slowly remove ourselves from relationships that only take from us. Getting hurt when trust is broken is normal. Therefore, when we see that a person has the tendency to break our faith in them and does not value our relationship with them, we should slowly accept the possible breakdown of the relationship. This would help prevent us from feeling bitterness on our part later. 
3. We should remain kind and civil. When we experience unfair situations like being taken advantage of, we should maintain a positive attitude. Let us not return the negativity done to us with the same negative deed. Allowing ourselves to foster negative emotions will only hinder us from moving forward and growing. Let it all go.  

These, for me, are the best things to do when people take advantage of us, to protect ourselves from becoming vengeful when such things happen to us in the future.

How else should we handle being taken advantage of by people? 

(Photo by cottonbro)

According to T. Harv Eker, your inner world creates your outer world. Whatever you think and allow to dwell inside your mind will affect how you act and respond. This wisdom has opened my eyes and helped me set myself free from the different wrong beliefs I had. 

Indeed, our inner and outer worlds have a direct relationship. Do you believe that our external world also affects our inner world? Because I do.  

Our home has been a mess lately. I mean, it’s extra messy these days because we have to fix some areas. My wife and I noticed that we had been unusually overwhelmed these days, and we both realized that the clutter around us actually caused this state. Specifically, here are the top five adverse effects of a messy space to us: 

1. Lethargy or exhaustion. Even when we have enough rest and sleep, we still tend to feel less energetic. I believe that this is because the mind cannot rest when seeing clutter. Mess seems to tell the brain that much work is still to be done. 
2. Unease or anxiety. We feel uneasy or anxious because our minds start to think about all the tasks we would surely need to do in the future while still facing the current set of tasks. Could everything be accomplished?
3. Lack of focus. One of the effective means to stay focused on tasks is to get rid of distractions. Who can focus when surrounded by too much clutter? 
4. Irritable temperament. Even the little things get under our skin when we think of all the tasks and other emotions that the messy space triggers. 
5. Unproductiveness. Finally, due to thinking or overthinking about many things, we fail to focus on the most important task at the moment, therefore accomplishing less than usual or none.

Do you also experience these things when your space is too cluttered? To help yourself, always make an effort to clear your space regularly. Condition your inner world as well as your outer world.   

(Photo by Sander)