Surround Yourself with People

It has been said that you become the average of the people you surround yourself with. That you should always try to be around people who are the type of people you want to be. There is conflicting research to this point,  but I like the sentiment. The idea that we are influenced by what and who we are exposed to makes perfect sense to me. We’ve talked about how the media you consume changes your vibration. We’ve talked about how some people just suck the life out of you. So it would make sense that the people you spend your time around will affect how you show up in the world. 

Take a quick inventory of your friends. Who in your life pushes you to do better? Who teaches you things? Who challenges your ideas or holds you accountable for your actions? Anyone? Maybe you’re the person who holds others accountable in your life and challenges them to be better and do better. If that is a one-sided street, then you are likely not reaching your full potential. Chances are you could grow even more. You could become an even truer version of yourself. 

If the people you spend the most time around now are people who make you feel drained or worn out, they are not helping you live life as Purely You. If the people you are surrounded by constantly make you feel like you have to put on a show to impress them, you are not living your life as Purely You. If the people you are surrounded by do not support and encourage your dreams and your desires, they are not helping you to live life as Purely You. 

It takes a village to raise a child. In reality, we are always children. There is always a generation older than us; we always have something more to learn. So if your village isn’t helping you learn, grow, and evolve, it’s time for a new village. If you cannot call on your village when you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, it’s time for a new village. If you present your big ideas and your village isn’t cheering you on, it’s time for a new village. 

It’s time to allow yourself to find people who will serve you in a different way. 

Think about your friends for just a minute. These may be the people that served you before you took that last big step in your growth. They may be the exact people you needed when you were in a specific phase of your journey. But now that you’ve grown, they no longer serve you like they once did. This version of you isn’t supported by those friends. 

These people may be who you’ve “settled for” because it’s easy. Maybe they are the people you work with. Or go to yoga with. Or parents of your child’s classmates. But these relationships are shallow. They are, ‘sure is a nice day outside’ type of friends. These are not the people you’d call on if you were in trouble and needed a hand. It’s okay to stay casual friends with these folks, but spending energy on a relationship that is not “deeper than the weather” does not help you live life as Purely You. 

Surround yourself with people who push you to be better. Who challenges your ideas and keeps you motivated. Spend time with people who are further along in their self-development journey, or at least in the same place you are in. Spend time with people who honor self-care and their intuition. When you’re ready to live your life as Purely You, surround yourself with other people who live as Purely You too.