Choose Your Posse
“Let’s bring along the friend who knows the art of joyful living to help us learn the same” – Melody Beattie
Every so often, most of us take the time to sort through our possessions, decide which are valuable, and offer the rest to a donation center or the trash bin. Similarly, on the path of self-improvement, we reflect periodically on our attitudes, beliefs, and habits—internal possessions—and decide which ones are worth keeping and which are not. But there’s another area of our life that usually doesn’t get the same attention as a spring clean or quick self-check—our relationships.
Learning, growing, and unfolding into the best version of yourself requires the right inspiration and fellowship. Self-growth, and the self-care that makes it possible, is not a solo sport. To grow towards the qualities you seek in your own life, it is important to cultivate a posse of people who are working towards or are already embodying them, even if it’s just a few souls. Doing so will help keep you on the right path.
Reflection
Here’s a powerful contemplation exercise to help you identify which relationships are of most value to your life:
- Decide which human qualities are most important to you, and which beliefs and ideas fit into your personal philosophy. Examples might include truthfulness, gratitude, compassion, joyfulness, fearlessness, and/or kindness. Check out this post if you’d like to take a deeper dive into this contemplation.
- Now, reflect on all of the people who you’ve maintained a friendship with over the last year. Has their presence helped you to grow? Have they added to the love and positivity in your life?
- If your answer was no to both questions for some people, ask yourself whether the effort you put into those relationships was worthwhile, and give yourself permission to move on from them if necessary.
- Continue your day with the intention of cultivating meaningful relationships!
As we move through life, we collect items, beliefs, and even relationships that can hold us back from becoming the best versions of ourselves. Relationships can inspire, connect, and add so much positivity to life, but they can also keep us anchored in the past. We hope this post inspired you to choose your posse with mindfulness, so that those around you inspire and nurture your growth.
