Do you surround yourself with like-minded people?

Are you receiving encouragement from those around you?

Do you share your thoughts and ideas with others or keep them hidden for fear of judgement?

Take some time to recognize your support team, your family and friends that you surround yourself with and if they are in alignment with your values and who you are as an individual.

This quote by Israelmore Ayivor is insightful because it is the people we surround ourselves with that either help us grow and prosper or hold us back and keep us stagnate.

I recently returned from a two-week visit in San Diego, California and one of the positives of that West Coast trip was connecting with so many like-minded entrepreneurs and individuals in to personal growth. One instance in particular was spending some quality time with a handful of people at one of the local restaurants in the area.

As we sat there enjoying some delicious food, sharing our thoughts and ideas, it was incredibly refreshing and uplifting to receive the support and encouragement from people who understand the challenges and struggles often faced when pursuing one’s passions.

We often forget to realize that the people we surround ourselves with steer us in certain directions. However, those directions are not necessarily always good. If you feel like you are at a point in your life where you are not where you wanted or hoped you would be, look at those people in your life and notice if they are in alignment with you want to achieve.

It is important to remember though that as you take inventory of those people in your life, if they are not providing you with the encouragement and support you need it is not because they intentionally want to see you fail. It can actually be for a number of various reasons. A key ingredient when doing this exercise is to make sure to do this with no judgement.

It may be because they are not in alignment with what you want, they may feel threatened that you may leave them if you move forward, or that they are dealing with their own fear of change. The loss of connection between people, especially family, can be a scary thing.

Can you think of a time when a family member did not want you to do something, not because they wanted to hold you back, but because they have thoughts of losing you?

A good example of this is moving to a different state, away from immediate family. You know within you that the relocation is important in order for you to grow and expand. However, a separation anxiety reaction may kick in for those around you and they may persuade you to stay even though it is not what you want or need.

When evaluating your support team, it may be difficult. You may have people in your life that have been there for a long time but are providing more negative than positive. However, the people you surround yourself with are up to you.

You know yourself better than anyone else does. Would you agree?

Stay true to who you are and who you want to be. Surround yourself with those who will help you become the best version of you.

Now it’s your turn.

How does this quote inspire you?

Tell me about an experience where the people you surrounded yourself with either uplifted you or discouraged you. In either of those instances how did it feel?

If you were not feeling the support by those people in your life, were you able to connect with those who provided you with the support needed? Are you still struggling to find the support and encouragement you need now?

Contact me or share your thoughts below in the Comments section.

Let’s get the discussion going.

Remember, you are not alone on this journey. Together we can become stronger individuals.

Educate. Engage. Evolve.