Who you spend your time with is who you become. Have you taken a second look at those you surround yourself with? Do they have qualities you want in yourself? Do they inspire you to be a better person? Are they unmotivated, lazy, or negative? Have you limited yourself to have friends in a comfort zone—friends who do not challenge you or encourage you to be the best you?

“Surround yourself with really good people. I think that’s an important thing. Because the people you surround yourself are a reflection of you.” Aaron Rodgers

Becoming an adult, it is much more important for me to surround myself with others who support and strengthen my best qualities. I want to be the best me as I venture into the majority of my life time and the portion I have much control over. I want to surround myself with those who bring out the best of me.

Life is too short to have shallow friendships with people you truly don’t have share similar characteristics or people who are not uplifting. These kinds of relationships were hard to get in high school because of immaturity and limitations due to age. However, in college and into adulthood, we are exposed to a much larger array of individuals. In this stage of life, you truly choose those who surround you. Adulthood brings about a new aspect of control to life.

With this control, you can evaluate the impact of your friendship with another and how it is affecting you. A friendship with a lazy and pessimistic person will rub off on you. You can notice this in yourself—has your view of life become negative and gloomy? Have you slacked off with work/homework/your pursuit of your passions? A friendship with someone who shares your passion for entrepreneurship, for example, is encouraging (assuming that individual is not selfish). Having someone who is chasing the same goal as you is beneficial because that individual will help you grow and learn. He/she may attend workshops or work on business plans with you. The latter is the kind of friendship to pursue in life.

If you are noticing a negative change in yourself when you are in the company of certain friends, that is a relationship that should not be pursued. Seek friendships with individuals who make you a better person. Surround yourself with people you want to be like and those who have qualities you want in yourself. Spend time with people you laugh with and when in their company, you feel like a good person. Make your life the best it can be, and rid of those who bring you down.

“Surround yourself with the right people and, realize your own worth. Honestly, there are enough bad people out there in the world—you don’t need to be your own worst enemy.” Lucy Hale