Choose your Circle Carefully

"Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm". (Proverbs 13:20)

The people we associate with are very influential in how we live, the shaping of our worldview, the setting and accomplishing of our goals, and our overall well-being. If we surround ourselves with bottom dwellers (people who do nothing, want nothing, and complain about everything), then we are most likely going to become just like them. When they complain, we will join in. When they decide to eat junk and sit on the couch, we'll join in. When they have no goals or aspirations, we will tend to follow along. We become what we associate with.

The writer of the proverb reminds us of this very fact: if we have fools as companions, we will suffer. However, if we want to become wise, we need to be in the presence of those who are wise. Our inner circle needs to be comprised of people who have attained what we aspire to or at least have similar aspirations. For example, we cannot decide to quit drinking and everyone we associate with drinks and parties. We cannot decide to become healthy, work out, and eat clean while we hang with people who eat fast food daily and avoid the gym like the plague.

It can be a challenging situation to break off friendships due to their lack of support or similar interests in bettering ourselves. Yet isn't that what a friend is supposed to be, supportive and like-minded?

The bottom line is this: surround yourself with people who share in your desire to grow, flourish, and become the best version of yourself....., and your life will become all the better because of it.