Many years ago, I attended a training meeting with a in-home sales group that sold lingerie. I had made some good money selling casual lounge wear and intimate clothing and decided to take the next step. So, I went to this meeting with my upline sales coach.
At this meeting that talked a lot about promoting yourself and the benefit of becoming a better you for profit. It was a lot of talk and slides, but really the only thing I took away from that meeting was the "Needle People" comparison.
The comparison went something like this....
Imagine yourself as a deflated balloon waiting to be filled with air. As you open yourself to be filled with confidence and empowerment you expand. You keep building yourself up until you are filled. But watch out!! What is the villain of a good full balloon? Needles!
In a split second a small prick can bust your balloon and leave you in pieces. These needles belong to people that don't support you. These people aren't filled with their own confidence, so they zap yours to make themselves feel better. These people have a lower self-esteem than you and need to bring you lower than them. They tell you that you will never get where you want or that you have to high of goals and will never reach them. The next thing you know..POP!
I have a lot of people in my life that have been needle people. Most don't realize they are the needles and think they are just keeping it real. I have filled my balloon many times and have picked up allot of pieces. Sometimes I have spent countless hours or days trying to find all my pieces.
I'm not a quitter by all means but it gets to be tiring avoiding needle people. I will always pick myself up and try again but I want to not be doing it as often. I have made it a point..pun intended... to surround myself with people that don't carry needles but are not afraid to give me a gentle squeeze. Just enough to check my assurance.
I don't have time for villains or needle people in my life. I like to think I have found just the right balance of squeezers and companions to help me stay full and afloat.
I also have to keep myself in check that I'm not being the needle. there are times when I unknowingly might burst someone's balloon and I don't ever want to be that person. I believe that we can gently keep someone grounded without popping their dreams or hopes.

We should always be evaluating ourselves and the people around us to ensure that there is a balance in our lives that keeps us moving forward on the path we chose for ourselves.