Over 350,000 people contract poison ivy in the U.S. every year. The nasty weed causes an itchy, irritating and sometimes painful rash. Scratching it, as I would always do as a kid, results in it spreading across the body, as I regretfully experienced many times, also as a kid.
My guess is far more than 350,00 people suffer from exposure each year to poison ivy people, those who cause personal irritation and pain in way form or another.
Negative Emotions Are Contagious
Poison ivy people with negative emotions are contagious. Being around them can drain your energy, irritate you, distract you, and waste your time. They will dump on you, causing you worry and be anxious. The next thing you know, you are dumping on those close to you, affecting your relationships. Finding ways to avoid them or minimize your exposure will help you maintain a positive and productive life.
When you venture into the woods, you watch your step and take precautions to avoid poison ivy. In the same way, you can take steps to avoid getting infected by poison ivy people. And it’s just as important to know who they are as what poison ivy looks like.
Five Types of Poison Ivy People
There are five types of poison ivy people. There is the “naysayer” who never provides encouragement because he or she is too busy offering discouragement. The “critic” goes further, he or she always finds fault and is not afraid to express their opinion. The “whiner” is constantly in a woe-is-me mode and thrives on pity. The “gossip” carries tales like a pro running back. The “blanket” is the person who always invades your personal space and clings to you, making you feel trapped.
To avoid infection, make a conscious effort to be positive.
To avoid infection, make a conscious effort to surround yourself with positive and productive people, and remain positive and productive yourself. Weed out negative people. If you do come in contact with a poison ivy person, whether in person or on social media, don’t feel obligated to engage him or her in a lengthy conversation, argument, or stream of posts. Don’t feel guilty or feel you need to offer an explanation for not doing ending or down-sizing the relationship.
Additional reading:
For the Lord to Judge
It’s important to be courteous and act with Christian charity when dismissing a poison ivy person. It is for the Lord to judge and he or she may have issues that need addressed. There may be times when you can minister to the person and be a positive influence as the Lord leads you.
Listen to God's Words
The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. Proverbs 15:14
Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, Proverbs 22:24
As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, Titus 3:10
Also read: Proverbs 6:12-19 1 Peter 5:8, Romans 12:2
In the Words of Others
You cannot expect to live a positive life if you hang with negative people. Joel Osteen
It’s amazing how quickly things turn around when you remove toxic people from your life. Robert Tew
Negative people don’t want solutions. Solutions mean they have to find something else to be negative about. Tom Ziglar
Think About It
Think of two or three people you know who fit the description of a poison ivy person. Describe the effects they have had on your life or that of others.
If the persons you thought of affected your life in a negative way, what could you do to end the relationship in a courteous Christian way or minister to them?
Have there been times when you displayed the traits of a poison ivy person and negatively affected others? Which type fit the way you acted? Why and how do you act that way?
