I have always loved the saying, "stay close to people who feel like sunshine!"
I think it is so so important who we surround ourself with, especially as we get older, grow, learn more about the world and become more ourselves. Growing up, my mom would say "you are who you hang out with" and I find this so true. When you hang out with certain people, you inevitably end up picking up similar mannerisms and acting in the same fashion.
For example, if you surround yourself with girls who gossip, you start to gossip here and there. Whereas if you surround yourself with girls who are encouraging and uplifting, you start to become an encourager as well! So take a moment and ask yourself if who you are hanging out with embodies who you want to become? If the answer is no, it's probably time to find a new circle.
We tend to get so caught up in how many friends we have but it is important to remember that it is better to have true friends and quality over quantity than to be able to say you have a large friend group. Just look at Jesus! He only had 12 followers and he ended up just fine. As you get older, you may find yourself on different paths as your friends and because of this, you outgrow friendships and certain relationships and that is perfectly ok. Some friends are only for a season while others are for life. While this can be hard to accept at times, the friends you need will eventually come into your life and everything will work out.
It is so important to always have cheerleaders in your life, those people who will always support you, lift you up when you are feeling down and always willing to lend a helping hand.
You are the sum of who you surround yourself with and that’s a fact. Negative people really do affect your mood and your wellbeing. Love yourself enough to surround yourself with people who respect and care about you. The company you keep is a reflection of how you feel about yourself. If you surround yourself with people of similar values, morals and beliefs it will influence you in a much more positive way and you will be able to grow so much as person. If you are being a light and positive impact on others, it will inspire them to do the same!
Becoming the best version of yourself is not just an overnight accomplishment, it is something you have to work for day in and day out. You aren’t going to just magically wake up in the morning and expect to be the person that you want to be. You need to be willing to continuously work on improving the person that you are, challenge yourself to break out of your comfort zone, and surround yourself with the things, and with the people who are going to bring out the best in you, and who are going to uplift you and positively impact your life.
Take a step back and make sure that your surroundings are a validation of the type of individual that you want to become. Never stop trying to be the best that you can be! You are meant to achieve greatness. You just need to believe in yourself, work hard and surround yourself with what greatness looks like for you.
That being said, choose your company wisely. Toxic and negative people will deplete you and your energy just as healthy foods or sugar will. If you truly want to live your most healthy and happy life, you have to look closely at everything you are taking in, especially the people you surround yourself with, conversations you're having, thoughts you are thinking and the things you read and listen to and be aware of how it impacts you. Who you surround yourself with truly does matter.
The best people are those who you speak to and you walk away feeling rejuvenated. These are your people. They believe in you, love you and genuinely want what is best for you. Focus on those with only good and pure intentions and the people that bring happiness and sunshine into your life! Keep being you and the rest will follow!