The statement you’re not a trash can mean that you are allowing someone with or without recognizing their behaviors to provoke you into emotional patterns that are not good for you. Think about this when someone is dumping into you all their negativity and emotions or  belittling you . . .  It’s as if they are vomiting into a trash can but instead of a trash can you are a human being who deserves to be treated in a respectful way, in a kind and loving way. If you have lost the ability to treat the ones you love with respect, kindness, and love then maybe you should stop and take a hard long look into yourself and get to the root of why you are not able to be kind, loving or respectful and stop using people like trash cans.

Allowing yourself to be used as a trash can does not originate from a personality flaw or a generic defect. Allowing yourself to be used as a trash can many times is rooted in immaturity, a fact that speaks to the possibility of a codependent lifestyle. However there is good news you don’t have to continue allowing others to use you as a trash can, you can change. While change is never easy, no one has to remain forever in the trash can position. You can change your position any time you want. No one has to remain forever codependent and forgo the opportunity to move from immaturity to maturity. The first step toward maturity is acknowledging and confronting your own codependency.

The key to change is motivation. When your pain in the relationship is greater than your fear of abandonment, the motivation for change is powerful. Moving away from the pain of Codependency then becomes a matter of choice and commitment. If you feel that the relationship you are in is more of a curse than a blessing . . .  that it brings more death to your soul than life this can be a strong motivation for change. Maybe it’s time for you to choose life and not death for your soul and get out of the trash can.