Motivational speaker Jim Rohn said “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” This is a very important life lesson. Look at your closest circle of friends and if you spend any time with them at all, you will note that you all share traits, likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc. etc. Everything is not exact, of course, because you’re all your own people, but when you spend time with people, you pick up on their attitudes and habits–whether they are good or bad. The next time you are with your group of friends, just watch for a while and decide if you really want to be like them.

Are your friends Debbie Downers? Always complaining about EVERYTHING? Do they hate everyone and everything? Do they gossip incessantly?

Something to remember is that if they are complaining about everything to you and gossiping to you about other people, chances are really good that they are doing the same about you to others. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life

You need to hang around with people who are your biggest cheerleaders. The people who will push you just a little to do something you really want to do but talk yourself out of because you aren’t good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, just plain enough. Because you are! And you need the people who will tell you so on your team.

You need people who will motivate you, who will encourage you to be adventurous, who will play and have fun with you, who will always want you to be your absolute best. You DON’T need someone who is always trying to get you into trouble, who talks you into doing things you don’t think are right, who tries to get you to dislike people or be a “mean girl,” who put you down to lift themselves up.

True friends will help you up and slow down if they have to so you can keep up or encourage you to keep up with them. They will encourage you to do more than you ever thought was possible. They will always be there cheering you on–no matter what it is you are doing.

Those are the people you need in your life because that’s how you want to be. So take a good hard look at the people you are surrounding yourself with. If you really don’t want to be like them, start finding a new group of friends. Trust me, the old “friends” won’t miss you a bit and you will be replaced before you can say “I love myself too much to hang around you.”