Surround yourself with like-minded people. This topic is so close to my heart. I’m like that grandma that repeats the same thing over and over again. No shame here.
Picture a life with no one around to cheer you on and simply reminding you how bad things are going for you . Sounds depressing, right? I feel pretty confident to say that we’ve all been surrounded by people that subtract from us instead of the opposite.
I remember growing up and constantly hearing the phrase in Spanish dime con quien andas y te diré quien eres. It means tell me who you hang out with and I’ll tell you who you are. Those are sure very powerful words. At the time, maybe around eight years old, I didn’t think much about it. As I got older, I definitely discovered the meaning. It’s totally related to surround yourself with like-minded people.
Growing up I had [still do] the privilege to have very supportive parents, who embraced pretty much every adventure I wanted to pursue. But, I also remember growing up trying to find a group that really lifted me up. Peers can be EVERYTHING. There was a period in my life [might be shocking for some] that it was all drama. I felt like I took one step forward and two steps backwards. What was going on? I “knew” what I wanted, but as time passed by I wasn’t necessarily close to it.
That’s when I realized I might be hanging out with the wrong group of people. It was a light bulb moment! Like my parents always said dime con quién andas y te diré quien eres. My surroundings were just going with the flow, so naturally I was going with the flow. Some didn’t have the ambitions I strived to accomplish. Therefore, I needed to shake things up!
Take a moment to reflect. Do you surround yourself with people that have similar interest and are there to root you on? If so, kudos to you! If not, no worries. We’ve all been there and the “problem” is fixable.
You might be asking yourself now how do I find those people? My suggestion: join organizations that share your same vision/mission. That’s an easy way to put yourself out there and connect with new people. It worked for me!
We have to remove those people out of our lives. It might take a while, but it’s an important step if we want something to change.
Although I constantly craft “my group,” I’m happy to say I surround myself with loving and encouraging people. I definitely don’t need unnecessary drama in my life. Who has time for that?
I’m here to push myself and others forward.
Cheers to us for searching and surrounding ourselves with like-minded people!