Who is the Company You Keep?

Growing up I always remember my mother saying, "You can choose your friends, but beware of the negative attitudes." That was pretty advanced for a 4th grader to really understand and grasp. However, that quote has stayed with me over my many years in life. Friends will come into your life and go away at will and you never really know why. Some of your friends are good company, there to support and encourage you through life and others have left painful memories from bad experiences. It is very important to avoid this type of person. When I was laid-off, the majority of my friends rallied around me and supported me in whatever decisions I was making. However, I did have a few friends that I had to let go of because there was no support or positive energy coming from them. They were sucking up my energy, leaving me tired and demoralized.

After realizing what these friends were doing to me, I sat back and watched. I realized that they held a negative outlook on all things. Even their vocabulary is strewn with critical words that tend to discourage others. Some of them I approached and asked them to repeat what they said, then I would ask them how else they might have said it. Believe it or not, the majority of them did not realize they were being perceived as negative. The others I had to avoid.

Today I surround myself with good friends for inspiration, hope and encouragement. I spend more time with these people who want to see me succeed in my personal and professional life. These people uplift me, provide me with positive energy. It becomes easy to decide who you value in your life.