5 Reasons Why You Are Who You Surround Yourself With

Do you ever wonder what does it really mean when people say “You are who you surround yourself with”? Well, that’s what we are going to find out today! 

According to Jim Rohn, we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. If you happen to be surrounded by great people, that’s good news for you. But whoever you are, it’s a good idea to take some time to analyze your friendships and other relationships in your life. 

The type of people you spend time with can have a huge influence on how you view yourself, what you consider normal, and what kind of goals you have in life. 

If you want to travel a lot and see the world, making friends with like-minded people will help you make your dreams come true. And if you want success in life, you’d better surround yourself with people who push you in the right direction.

Why is who you surround yourself with important?

Who you surround yourself with is extremely important, especially if you have big plans for your future. 

Naturally, your friends and family members affect the quality of your life. But it’s not just having a good time that matters. There are a few reasons why the people around you affect you, which we’ll get to shortly. 

If you spend too much time with the wrong kind of people, you might end up living a life that isn’t even right for you. You really shouldn’t hang out with your old high school friends simply because you’ve known them for so long. 

Possibly the very best way to build a good future for yourself is to look for the right people, those who inspire you and help you move forward. That can have a huge impact on your happiness, but also on your career and even on whom you marry.

Reasons why you are who you surround yourself with

Your social circle affects every aspect of your life. Who you spend time with has a significant impact on your quality of life and also your future. That’s why you need to think carefully about who you let into your life.

Just imagine if you spent your time with the likes of, say, Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey every day. Wouldn’t your life be quite different?

Next, let’s take a look at the reasons why you are who you surround yourself with.

1. How you spend your time together

First of all, how you spend time with your friends matters. If you spend most of your time just gossiping or partying, the time you spend together can have a very negative impact on you. 

Then again, if your best friends are people who are ambitious, like to try new things, or like to travel a lot, their impact on your life is very different. 

Ask yourself, do you usually truly enjoy the time you spend with your friends? Do you do anything together that helps you level up your life? 

It makes sense to be friends with people who share common interests with you. However, if you feel like the only thing you have in common is the fact that you went to the same college or that you both play tennis, they might not be your people after all.

And if spending time with them tends to put you in a bad mood a lot or they seem to lack direction in their own lives, there’s a chance that they don’t have a very good impact on your life.

2. The example they give

It’s in human nature to gravitate towards the center of your comfort zone, but you don’t want to spend a lot of time with people who have no goals or who have a hard time doing anything even remotely difficult or uncomfortable. I’ve had friends like that and I can say that those friendships did not have a positive effect on my life. 

Another thing is, you don’t want to surround yourself with negative people. You have goals and dreams and you want your friends to help you reach them, not tell you that you likely won’t succeed anyway. The most successful people in the world for sure didn’t hang out with people who told them that their dreams were stupid. 

Each of your close friends is a role model for you, even if you don’t notice it. How they act, what they talk about, the decisions they make, and what kinds of jobs they have all normalize their lifestyle in your mind. 

That’s why you want to have confident, positive people in your life. They help you believe in yourself and push you through any negative experiences you might have in your life. 

3. Staying motivated or giving up and settling

Do your friends have a positive outlook on life? If they do, that can help you immensely. Good things tend to happen to positive people, I’ve seen it many times. 

Now, if you want a successful life, you need to surround yourself with ambitious people who help you stay motivated and inspire you to work harder. If you hang out with people who have a tendency to give up or who settle for a life that they don’t really even want, you’re in trouble. 

Spending time with people who don’t help you become a better person and who don’t motivate you to work on your goals will just hurt you. You’re not going to reach your full potential with them. 

4. Making useful connections

Knowing the right people can have a big influence on your career or your business. If you are friends with people who have similar goals, there’s a good chance that you can help each other make valuable connections. 

If you know the right people, you’ll start being in the right place at the right time more often. You’ll get invited to dinners and events and you can meet influential people in your field. 

Of course, you should always be on the lookout for your kind of people anyway. You never know when you’re going to meet a new great friend!

5. Helping one another

One great thing about having the right friends is the mutual support in working towards your goals. Sharing tips and advice, challenging each other, and working together can help you both build a much better life. 

True friends have their friends’ best interest at heart and sometimes it requires honesty and not letting you do something stupid or settle for things that aren’t for you. You need to have friends who aren’t there just for the good times but for the difficult times too. 

Having positive energy is important, but if your friends don’t hold you to high standards, then they might not have a very positive impact on you and your level up journey. 

“Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you.”

John Wooden

You need to find the right people to help you grow

The people in your life affect so many things: how you spend your time, how much you believe in yourself, what you consider normal, how you behave, what kind of goals and dreams you have, and so on. 

If you want to become the best version of yourself, you have to be careful not to surround yourself with the wrong crowd. Make an effort to look for your kind of people, those who have similar goals and aspirations, and who are as determined as you are to level up their life. 

You need to set higher standards for yourself and not waste time on relationships that you know aren’t mutually beneficial. It can be especially hard for young adults to know who they should make friends with, but the secret lies in simply being fearless and getting to know people without worrying too much about the outcome. 

This is because you can’t necessarily know immediately whether you are a match or not. But as you get to know more people, you’ll get closer and closer to the right crowd. It can take a long time to find your best friends, but it will be worth it. 

Additionally, making an effort to reach out to people and widen your social circle will also improve your social skills and it will likely have a positive effect on your self-confidence as well.

You are in charge of who is in your life

The beauty in all this is that you have the right to choose who is in your life and who isn’t. If you feel like you are currently surrounded by bad company, all you need to do is meet new people and let go of any negative relationships you have. 

You need to make the effort to surround yourself with the right people who have a genuinely positive influence on your life. Keep in mind that just because your old friends and acquaintances are good people, it doesn’t mean that they are the right people for you.

Again, you are who you surround yourself with. If you spend time with the wrong people, you might walk in the wrong direction. 

It isn’t necessarily easy to let go of people, even when you feel like you don’t have much in common. But at the end of the day, you always have the right to choose who is in your life. 

Final thoughts on surrounding yourself with the right people

Finding the right group of people for you can take a lot of time, but just imagine how different your life can become if you start making a conscious effort to be your real self and look for the people who make you feel good and help you grow. 

While it’s not necessarily going to be easy, try to keep a positive attitude and remember that one truly good friend is worth much more than 10 people who don’t bring you happiness. And the good news is that often things are easier than you first think. 

Start going to events, connecting with people on social media, and talking with people you find interesting. Before you know it, you’ve found your crowd. And if you a serious about changing your life, well, you will definitely have greater success in the right group of friends. 

What did you think about this article? Do you feel like some of your current friends have a somewhat bad influence on you? Have you ever decided to let go of a friend because you felt like you simply weren’t a match? 

If you are interested in reading more about upgrading your life, read this article next!