I remember when I was about 14 years old and I began hanging out with a new group of girls. During this time, I tried cigarettes, drank alcohol and got myself into some trouble. There was one situation in particular that pushed my parents to their limit and they decided to punish me by making me stay in for a couple of weeks in a row and banned me from hanging out with those girls. I also had a big brother that told me if I ever smoked or drank again he would "kick my little ass into next week" (and believe me, my bro is a tall big guy, I didn't wanna mess around). I remember that as clear as yesterday. Guess what? It worked. I went back to my old group of friends and my path went in a more positive direction.
The point of my post today is that I want you to think about who you choose to surround yourself with - are they people who are as nourishing as an apple or as toxic as a twinkie? Do they challenge and support you or bring you down with their negative energy? When I was a young joyous, my big bro and parents obviously helped steer me in the right direction. But now that I'm adult, it's the choices that I make and the relationships that I choose, that will result in my happiness or unhappiness.
I decided to write about this today because I subscribe to the Daily Love and this article inspired me: http://thedailylove.com/who-you-spend-time-with-is-who-you-become/
I've written a few articles about this before and want to share two more with you:
Evaluate your relationships and surround yourself with people who inspire you!
Surround yourself with happy people if you want to be happy.
Be well and joyous,
Joy
This caught my attention like CRAZY today - I was just talking to my mom last night about how we both feel super sensitive to the energy of the people around us, and how that can either lift you up or bring you down - I've gotten to a point right now where I can see myself getting sucked into negative habits presented by a few people in my life, so I'm setting myself the goal of breaking out of that pattern and finding/spending more time on the things that energize me! Great post, Joy :)
ReplyGlad to hear it Ainslie. You've got the right attitude. :)
I think I've mastered surrounding myself with the right people - finally :D
ReplyIndeed Miss Liz. You are a gem.
So true Joy- loved that you shared this! And my mom & I also were recently talking about this,she's thinking retirement I'm thinking new career & how it doesn't matter what stage of life you're in you must remain consciously aware of who & what's surrounding you. Jen :)
Replyso very true Joy. letting go of friends that aren't good for you is not always necessarily easy, but i find family more difficult. it's hard to admit it to yourself that family is not good for you
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