Minus 10 Toxic Connections

Ah, the joys of modern technology! Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Blogging - with the click of a button you're instantaneously invited to view the thoughts and snapshots of someone you know. Or someone you don't. Let's be honest, we've all written the "how do I know this person?" email to someone we actually did know in an attempt to jog a memory that would explain why someone we didn't know wants to be our friend.

There's a sense of anticipation when I sign on every morning: who's witty commentary will make me laugh? Who is having a worse day than me and needs my virtual hug? Who will have a tip or piece of advice that I didn't know I needed to hear? Who will need advice that I could possibly give? For the most part, I absolutely love my web-friends and inter-buddies. But then there are others.....

• The guy who constantly updates his status with comments about sex and bondage.
• The girl that cusses way more than me (and trust me when I say that is a lot).
• The girl who treated me like crap when we were kids and yet for some reason wanted to be my friend, even though it's been two years and she has yet to comment on anything on my page.
• The friend of a friend of a friend that I met boating one weekend in 2007.
• The ex-boyfriend and his perfectly perky little wife and super smart children in their private school uniforms standing in front of their lake front property. Did I mention they live in Tahoe?
• The kid that sat with you in study hall and now invites you to have pillow fights, mafia wars and to attend wizard school.
• The girl that whines and complains and is all "woe is me" except really you know she's just needy and demanding attention.

If every time you see their name pop up you feel jealous, insecure, angry, annoyed or icky, it's time to let them go. Think of all the valuable time you're wasting with these feelings. It might only be a fleeting moment - but it was there and it all adds up over time. It was a negative feeling that really wasn't necessary. So why keep putting yourself in the path of it?
This week's challenge is to remove 10 toxic connections, be it from your cell phone, your email contact list, Facebook or MySpace account, or even your handwritten address book. (Do you really need your ex-boyfriend's step mother's mailing address? You haven't spoken to the woman in over twelve years.) Let go of some of these connections to make room for future, more meaningful connections.