Several years ago, I watched Larry King’s interview with Joel Osteen, world renowned preacher with more than 42,000 people attending his church each week. One of things he said on the program is that we must choose our friends and associates wisely because who we spend time with, will strongly influence what we do. There is a saying, “Tell me who you are with and I’ll tell you who you are.”
This is one of the things I strongly believe in and feel that who we spend time with become our role models. We are influenced by those whose company we keep. When we feel comforted, joyful, motivated, safe with those close to us, we are provided with the nourishment to move forward in our lives. I can have one conversation with a positive uplifting and supportive person, and it makes my whole day. Just the energy and tone of the person’s voice affects me. I put a lot of emphasis on those conversations because I want to have more of them.
On the other hand, when we feel disempowered, sad, afraid around certain people, we need to pay close attention to how we are feeling. When parents and grandparents are concerned about the company their children keep, it is for good reason. Their concern comes from the changes in their children’s behavior after spending time with certain people and environments. We can’t help by be influenced by our surroundings. The weather and climate affect us daily and so do those around us.
We must find appropriate role models and spend time with them. I’m talking about observing behavior and paying attention to what we hear and what we feel. The saying :Birds of a feather flock together” really rings true for me. When we have spent time with the special people who move us deeply and makes us feel positive and motivated, we know we are in the right place.