I'm sure most of us have heard the saying “what a tangled web we weave.” At the end of life, we will look back at the web we have woven. Many believe that your life is only shaped by your own decisions, but we never stop to think of the impact the people around us have on our life. The individuals we befriend lead us to make decisions and take paths which will forever change our lives. So when planning for a successful career and happy life, it makes since that we first need to surround ourselves with people that will build us up and push us forward into the future of our dreams. These people will be our true friends.

Far too often we stress over things that we believe matter the most. We will fret our entire high school career in efforts to discover our calling, and when approaching our freshman year of college we worry that out chosen major will not be the best choice. Likely we will change our major more than once. And as we wade through the confusion and anxiety that awaits at the threshold to the rest of our lives, we sadly forget that our friends and acquaintances could make the dilemma less of (or in some cases, more of) an issue than we believe it is. These struggles are normal and everyone faces them, but surrounding ourselves with individuals that open our eyes to a new viewpoint can help us find our true identities.

Personally, I tend to struggle to see my own potential. In the past I've suffered from painful anxiety, and I now unknowingly spot these behaviors in others and aim to help. My new goal is to immediately approach the person and make them feel seen, accepted, and appreciated. The very things I had to overcome have given me the power to give others what I once needed. The impact you make on a person can change their life for better or worse, so always keep in mind how you would want to be treated.

It's part of growing up, learning what a real friend is. A person that builds you up instead of tearing you down, a person that says what you need to hear rather than what you want to hear, a person that values you as much as they value themselves. While we may falter in life, if we make the right decision when we choose those that will surround us, we will have a bright and joyous future ahead of us.