You Are Who You Spend Your Time With
You’re probably familiar with this observation. But think about it-really think about it. How much attention do you pay to your social surroundings and to the people you spend your time with?
Believe me-it matters.
The people around you are crucial to your mental and physical health.
Real friends are powerful; they can make you smile or laugh. They can lift your spirits or ease your stress. They know you, respect you, and support you in your efforts to live your life with dignity and courage. You trust them as your first line of defense.
Think about this statement: The people you spend time with control your mood. You’ll feel bad about yourself, or angry, when you’re around people who hurt you or who mistreat you.
Emotions are energy, and energy fields, whether positive or negative, affect everyone.
As an individual, you can’t grow without people who love you. Love is healing energy, and your mental health depends on-among many others things-the amount of your support. You need your friends around you when life looks beautiful, and especially when life doesn’t go the way you want it to.
A life without friends isn’t easy.
Having friends is a recipe for a long and successful life. They’re your support group, and I mean that literally.
It’s true that you can’t choose your family members, but you can find people whom you really like and build strong friendships with them.
If you say: “My relationship with (fill in the name) is painful,” my question for you is, “You call that a relationship?”
Relationships don’t hurt. If it hurts, it’s not a relationship.
It doesn’t matter who the person is in the hurtful relationship. Don’t spend time with him or her. Nobody has the right to hurt you. Spend more time with people who understand, support, and admire you for who you really are.
If someone asks you to “sacrifice” something in order to maintain a good relationship, think about it. In good, healthy, and mutual relationships, friends don’t ask you to sacrifice anything for them.
Finding friendships will not happen overnight. Make an effort to build your relationships. It will take time, but it’s worth it.
Good friends are your teachers. Learn from them if you don’t want to make the same mistakes they’ve made.
In these busy days, many of us aren’t ready to make the time and room for important people in our lives. That’s a terrible mistake.
Never spend time with people who make you feel worthless, helpless, unhappy, or angry. You have the right to choose your social environment, because you are who you spend your time with.
