Surrounding yourself with like-minded people should be what you focus on when you’re venturing out into friendships and relationships. As you age and mature, you change how you think and carry yourself. You have goals you are trying to pursue and accomplish, but it will be hard doing that when you do not have friends who are trying to do the same or uplift you with what you desire to achieve. Not only will it be hard, but it can start to be frustrating and disappointing when your supposably “friends” are not supporting you or understanding where you are coming from. This will put a lot of pressure on you because you’re trying to accomplish what you planned. This can lead to taking on the role of guiding your friends to adapt to your same ways, which causes you to put aside your goals and lose track of where you’re trying to go.
When you begin to take control of your life and level up, you will start noticing that the same people you have been around don’t feel the same anymore. With that being said, you should start connecting with people who will guide and encourage you. Being in college has shifted my perspective about who I surround myself with. Sometimes, you may think you have found the right people, but as you continue to hang around each other, you feel yourself changing into another person that you never thought you would become. That is a sign you are not meant to be around those people, and they do not have the same mindset as you.
Key factors of surrounding yourself with like-minded people:
- You will be able to connect, gain, and get advice with each other on a deeper level.
- Start to delve into mature conversations that bond a stronger, healthy relationship.
- Being comfortable to talk about whatever with that person.
- Share beneficial resources with each other.
- You start to become who you hang around and you do not want that to be negative individuals.
Ways to determine if someone is like-minded like you:
- Do they have goals for their future?
- How are your conversations with someone, whether they are useless or not productive conversations?
- Do they feel like a mentor to you, where you can come to them to help you if you are feeling discouraged?
- Do y’all share the same interests and opinions?
- Are they accountable?
All in all, make sure you surround yourself with people who share the same characteristics as you. This will determine if they are good company to keep around. Do not limit yourself to friends that drain you of your energy. To continue growing and uplifting yourself, it is your birthright to be around people who exude that same energy back to you.