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.
With steam rising up from their cups, Cynthia opened up their convo lamenting how certain friendships drained her more than it filled her cup. Emma resonated with Cynthia’s experience and chimed in on how she struggled over the years to find the right people to surround herself with.
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?
Picture a walnut tree that stands big and strong, in the middle of a field.
It provides shelter to various wildlife, yet typically there’s not much plants growing around it because its leaves contain chemical that would inhibit any other plants to grow and compete with nutrition from the soil.
Contrast the above description with a magnolia tree, where we might see other plants growing around it.
Apparently, magnolia makes a really great companion plant, its roots can nourish the soil and leaves become natural mulch that prevents weeds from growing out of control.
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.
Wondering how you can choose your circle wisely? Ask yourself:
How are you feeling your life today going?
Can you identify walnut and magnolia tree of a person in your life?
What makes you identify them as a walnut and magnolia respectively?
Hello, I’m Nita Agustin
My jam is working with queer youth and young adults, especially those who do not want to be defined by what society told them about themselves. I help clients figure out who they are, who they want to be, and how to get there. We do this by processing how their past impacted the way they live out their life today. From our work together, I noticed clients develop better self-awareness and experience improved quality of life as they can show up differently in their relationships.
I offer virtual and in-person sessions near Brentwood, North Burnaby. I am licensed to practise in BC, as well as all across Canada, so I support clients all over BC, all the way from Vancouver to Kitimat. Other than working with clients who reside in BC, I also can support clients who reside in Yukon Territories, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland.
Check out my About me page to learn more about what I do and have to offer for you. Also, explore my Services page to see how I can guide you in making shifts in your life today. If you feel ready to discover ways to live life on your own terms, I welcome you to book an initial intake session. I am so stoked to meet you and start figuring out how you can show up as your best self!
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.
