your cirlce matters
Initially when I wanted to write about "your circle" I really wanted to focus just on your friend circle. As I've thought more, this topic has expanded. Your friend circle is crazy important and the people you choose to keep around you can affect the next 5-10 yrs of your life. It's a little more than that though. The music you listen to, the images you constantly view, & the words you speak all have an effect on your mind. All of those things are things that you allow inside your circle.
You don't think music has an effect on you? When I was 14-16 I held onto a lot of hurt and resentment. I was allowed to buy an Eminem & 50 cent CD, censored of course. Safe, right? Wrong, it was awful. If you actually listen to the words in those songs you can't find a whole lot of positive messages. Every time I listened to it I could feel myself getting more angry- it was cool though, I felt like a badass. Like I could do anything and take on the world, all by myself. It was quite the opposite from what reality was and it took a couple years for me to rid myself of this bad attitude.
Images & Social Media
What you constantly watch eventually becomes a part of you. TV shows with cussing/sexual references & getting completely wrapped up in social media can have lasting effects. Ultimately, you have to ask yourself, does this make me a better person? Is this age appropriate? If the answers are no, change the channel.
Be careful with social media as well. How long you spend on it is just as important as the content you're viewing or engaging in. Social media can be addicting and it's not exactly a true representation of real life. For example I have almost 1,000 "friends" on FB. I absolutely despise that social media uses the word "friends". They're acquaintances. Your real life human connections are what are going to matter. Face to face time cannot be understated. Please make sure you're staying connected off-line.
Friend Circle
List the top 5 people in your circle & if they have a positive or negative influence. Also, list your expectations for your friends. What qualities do you expect your friends to have?? Example: loyalty, honesty, no gossiping, etc.
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Expectations:
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Expectations:
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Expectations:
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Expectations:
5.)
Expectations:
If they’re negative, you may want to rethink that relationship. It doesn’t mean you can’t ever look or say hello to them, but your future is shaped by the kind of people you hang out with. Remember, this is YOUR life, it's ok to be picky. I have soooo many acquaintances, far too many to count. Realistically, your best friend count will only be about 3-5 people. It's perfectly fine to have boundaries.
Download the free, My Circle Worksheet here.