Know Your Crowd

As you grew up, you probably received that "you are who you hang out with" lecture from your parents once or twice. Most of the time, kids don’t understand how accurate this statement is until they learn for themselves. In my case, I did not fully understand this until college.

In high school, I wanted to fit in so badly with the "cool" kids that I ignored how demoralizing this would lead to be. It's not the fact that they were bad people. They just were not working toward the same goals as I was. They wanted to make irresponsible decisions that I knew would cause me to venture down the wrong path and put my future successes on the line. If I had continued to hang out with those types of people, I would have resorted to the same habits and behaviors they were accustomed to. A lot of times, these people will use peer pressure to persuade you to join their unhealthy decisions. When you start to feel uncomfortable with a decision, it's probably a sign that you shouldn't do it. For example, just because everyone is getting a tattoo, doesn't mean you should. Just because everyone is going to that party, doesn't mean you should. Recognize the pressure and be strong enough to resist it and do the right thing.

This is part of my crowd.

You might be asking yourself now, how would you know if you were hanging around the wrong group of people?

First, you must evaluate yourself. What do you dream of pursuing in your life? What goals are necessary to reach that dream? What steps are you required to take to reach these goals? Write them down. I always found it best to illustrate my goals in a bubble map or mark them on a calendar. Once you visualize your goals, it allows you to obtain a more driven attitude to take a day-by-day approach to ultimately strive for your dreams. All your goals start with planning.

Next, you need to eliminate all the negative aspects of your life that could interfere with your achieving the goals you have set. This is where "surrounding yourself with people who make you a better person" comes into play. The wrong types of people feed off negativity and they are more intrigued with drama and speak badly about others. Most of the time they do this because they are insecure about themselves or jealous. These types of people will make sure you stay on the same level as them; basic and unsuccessful. They will not allow you to excel past the bare minimum and they will criticize your dreams, looking down on you for trying to succeed. Toxic people will turn you toxic, and no one can achieve their goals under that type of influence.

Who you choose as your friends will dictate every action in your life.

Joel Osteen once said "You can't hang out with chickens and expect to soar with eagles.

You're going to become like the people you continually associate with.

You wanna know what you're gonna be like in 5 years? Look at your friends.

If your friends are going places, have a spirit of excellence, kind, generous, courteous, then those qualities are going to rub off on you."

His words explain exactly what I am portraying.

Your parents warned you about the wrong types of people because they have been in your shoes once before. They don't want you to make the same mistakes they had witnessed or made themselves. Parents tell you these things to protect you from losing a future they know you are capable of pursuing. So, if I were you, I would listen to their advice. They have a little more wisdom than you think they do.

Falling into the wrong group is not just prevalent in younger ages, but adults can be prone to it as well. Saying that, even as you get older, you should still be aware of the toxic people who try to reel you with their temptations. Biblically, I suggest you read the story of God's test and the serpents temptation in Genesis 3:1-6. The Lord talks about how you must not give in to the attractiveness of temptation, but instead, recognize evil and not give in to its deceit.

The right group of people will come to you. Don't rush the process by giving into the pressure of negativity and unhealthy behaviors.