One day at a time: Chapter 6

Every doctor needs a patient, every cop needs a criminal, every climber needs a mountain, every speaker needs an audience, every writer needs a reader and every human needs a friend. Friends, we’ve made a lot of them over the years and each friend has a purpose. They will alter your life for good or for worse if you let them. It is your choice to decide who stays and who to let go. I have come across various analogies about friends but one stood out. Your friends can either be the wind in your sails or the anchor to your ship. If they are not the former, they are definitely the latter. A simple fact: If you surround yourself with winners, you will be a winner. If you surround yourself with losers, you will be a loser.

Let’s do a small activity today. Take out your phone, go over your contacts and make a list of people you still consider friends. Stick to those who motivate you, inspire you and make you feel at peace in their company. Trust me, five is all you need, maybe 6. Give the rest a week of hiatus and observe. Ties need to be cut if need be. I can’t begin to explain how important it is to surround yourself with friends who think like you do. Such friends, despite going through their own struggles, will always stay by your side through thick and thin. A healthy friendship is like a rising tide that lifts all ships. Remember, the radius of the inner circle is always small.