Choose your circle wisely: How to surround yourself with positive influences
Cynthia and Emma are long overdue for a bestie catch-up, so when they heard that La Foret opened a second location in Burnaby, they were pumped to check it out. The aroma of freshly baked croissants intermingled with the fragrance of warm coffee.
The two friends were so engrossed in sharing their experience and perspective on friendship, support, and encouragement.
Cynthia and Emma’s story above is a great reminder to choose your circle wisely. It matters who we surround ourselves with because ultimately it will play a role in our personal growth and well-being!
Just like plants in nature, the people we surround ourselves with will impact the way we see ourselves and live out our lives
What does it mean to choose your circle wisely?
Contrast the above description with a magnolia tree, where we might see other plants growing around it.
Very similarly, the people we surround ourselves with can either support or stunt our growth
Negative and toxic individuals will hold us back, drain our energy, or even make us feel guilty for making any shifts in our lives.
Like the walnut tree, those people will criticize us and bring us down.
Imagine having a magnolia tree of a person in your life! They will support and inspire you to be the best version of yourself. Every now and then, they may challenge us to grow and improve, and along the way celebrate any progress, however tiny we made!
I personally so resonate with this statement:
Surrounding ourselves with positive people can lead to a more wholesome, meaningful life.
As someone who constantly inhale any inspiration from my immediate surrounding, I so echo the importance of surrounding ourselves with people who can speak life into our world. These people will inspire us to do things that fill our cup, take risks, and work towards our goals. They would provide us attentive sounding board when needed. They would encourage us to go out of our comfort zone when we need to test our limits.
Throughout this pandemic, I witnessed telehealth virtual sessions become more of a norm, and it has been super transformative seeing clients can access mental health services from the comfort of their home.
There are lots of different stereotypes out there, and society tells us who we are supposed to be and what we are supposed to do in the world. It can feel very overwhelming and confusing to compare our personal experience against those ideas. The thing is, you no longer have to be defined by what society tells you. It is your life to live, and you get to decide who get a say about your life.