You are what you surround yourself with.

After school I was an exchange student in Finland.  Due to its geography, it is dark for 5-6months of the year straight and light for 5-6months of the year straight.  During the dark months, suicide rates are extremely high due to the oppressiveness of no sunlight.  Our surroundings can have a profound affect on our own well being.  (Note - not the happiest way to start my blog but stick with me people!)

I like to think that I am a pretty positive and motivated person.  I know at times I have my rants and get down and out/lazy like everyone else but for the most part I try and keep things up beat and purposeful. 

In saying this, sometimes it's hard to stay happy, energetic and generally moving forward with a plan.  I also realize that I can do a lot more in my life to go the extra mile to help people.  This is where the people you associate with and the company you keep can have a big impact on how you view the world and the thoughts/actions you pursue.  Our friends nearly always reflect the person we become.

My thoughts for this post were provoked from my new job.  It is amazing!  The people that I work with, including the bosses are incredible.  They truly make the business successful by being them!  They are positive, happy, energetic, can never do enough for a customer, health conscious, organized, and motivating.  Never before have I worked in an environment quite like it.  SO many times at work I have found myself doing something a little extra for a customer or work colleague, not because I want to impress anyone, but because the company and environment I am working in allows and facilitates this kind of thinking and action.  It is always a warm feeling when I find myself in this situation.  I am becoming a more compassionate, helpful, friendly and motivated person.  I am becoming the good that is surrounding me.

Now this can also, as I am sure you know, work in the opposite.  If you surround yourself with negativity, violence, hate, greed etc....your character will slowly and nearly always become those things.  I once read that if you take your five closest friends and averaged their weights, that is probably what you will weigh.  I know this is a little trivial but you get what I mean!     

So....who is around you?  What do you spend your time doing, thinking about, talking about, researching, listening to and exposing your emotions to?  Is it positive or negative?  Who do you want to become?  Let me tell you, if you are a person in the thick of the later environment, it is not too late.  If you are a person DOING the pulling down, gossiping, negative talk etc WAKE UP!  Take a good hard look at where you are at and what you are doing.  As harsh as it sounds you might need to find new friends, leave a club or group, read a different genre of books, take steps to start thinking more positive thoughts....anything to start pulling yourself out of the mire you may be in.

Don't wait friends!  Life is far to short to be miserable!  I have a saying that I aim to live every day better than the one before.  Sure I don't always succeed but you are only a quitter when you stop trying!  Take a subjective view.  We are so incredibly blessed beyond imagination and really have nothing to complain about.  I challenge you, this week, do something, just one thing to try and make your life more positive.  The power is yours and only you can change.  Take some ownership friends and lets help make this world, those we come in contact with and meet, better!  Love to you all.  Peace, plants...TattooRunner