Limitless Monday: Importance Of Keeping Good Company, Environment On Your Own Positive Attitude, Behavior

Limitless Monday – Keeping good company

I would like to begin today’s Limitless Monday article with a quotation I read last week.

“He who walks in the company of fools suffers along the way. Company with fools is always painful; company with the wise is pleasure.” Buddha

I have often referred in my weekly articles to the need for maintaining relations with quality people, following the adage that we are the average of the people we spend the most time with. This article will go a little deeper into this thinking.

I find that the best nights out are generally when I am surrounded by positive people discussing upbeat subjects. These engagements leave me inspired and excited, desperate to bound out of bed at 5am ready to take on the world. Hangover be damned.

Now compare that with a rendezvous with a friend or partner who wishes to spend the entire night complaining about their co-workers, home life, and anything else they can think of. Those kinds of gatherings will leave you feeling drained, demotivated, and, if you did listen to your dissatisfied friend/s whilst partaking in a few alcoholic beverages, you are sure to feel the effects in the morning.

The same applies when talking to a friend or partner on the phone. A call with someone which leaves you inspired and ready to kick some serious ass is preferable to one where you act as a sounding board to someone else’s problems, leaving you wanting to either punch the wall or scream in frustration and retreat into the gloom of life.

This is all obvious stuff I know. But I bet if you think about it, you have friends, co-workers, or even a partner that meets this description. And I would also go as far as to say that you regularly indulge them with your time and energy.

The more positive and energetic you are, the more useful you are to them.

That should tell you something right there. You are better than that!

I had a girlfriend once who did exactly that. She would call me every morning on her drive to work and on her drive home. And the general theme of her conversation was always without fail the same.

I listened and she talked.

Her son was annoying her, her co-workers were being rude to her, her parents were ignoring her, and her boss was treating her unfairly.

I was the one invariably punching the wall after these one-sided conversations.

Our time is precious.

Our energy is limited.

Life is difficult.

We need all the advantages we can gain to achieve success in life. Spending time with inspirational people with ambitions, goals, and energy should be our aim.

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Of course, the negative people I am describing could well be a close family member, a friend you have known since childhood, or even your wife or husband.

If you are spending the majority of your time with these people, your ambitions will be crushed like road kill.

You don’t have to banish your negative friends to a lifetime in the sin bin, but you should minimize the time you spend with them. And if you are married or have a long term relationship with a person as described, then if you are serious about having a fulfilling life, that person must go the way of the Dodo, or you will have some serious regrets when the death bed test arrives.

I often refer to the demon-like creatures in the Harry Potter books when describing the individuals who sap all your energy, leaving you a husk of your former self.

They are known as Dementors.

Dementors are all around us. Avoid the Dementors at all costs.

Our aim must be to inject new blood into our lives. That new blood takes the form of positive influences in our life.

New friends, colleagues, co-workers, employees, a new partner.

Change is good. Change is natural, and change is healthy.

That is why you should ensure your relationships do not stagnate. That is dying. Networking events, parties, a new job, a new club, a startup venture, whatever it takes to meet new people to inject inspiration and ideas into your life.

I listen to a lot of podcasts. And the one thing I notice about the successful and fulfilled are they have a strong circle of friends and acquaintances. They feed off each other’s energy and share ideas.

It’s not a one way street. Many dysfunctional relationships are one way. You are better off being single than being in that kind of relationship.

I have a few coaching clients who often complain about the negative people in their lives. My advice is always the same.

Ration your time with them. Whether it’s your close relative or childhood friend, it doesn’t matter. What is essential is that you snatch the oxygen mask first and ensure you are in a good place before you look to help anyone else.

Today I would like you to identify the Dementors in your life, and begin to ration your time with them. They won’t like it, but that doesn’t matter.

Your happiness is more important. As I always say, if you are happy everyone is happy.

Happy Monday!

Banner Image: Good friends. Image Credit – Priscilla Du Preez