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Friends, a reflection of you!
 by: Kenia Morales

A Japanese proverb states, “When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.” While in Spanish we use a very popular saying “dime con quien andas y te dire quien eres” which translates in to “Tell me who you hang out with, and I will tell you who you are. When you think about it both quotes, pretty much have the same meaning and are right. Others can tell a lot about you by the company that you keep. Many may disagree because they may view themselves different from their friends or like to believe that they are just accepting of their character. However, this is not true. It can happen but it is seldom the case. The reality is that we tend to build relationships with people like us. It’s simple; we like those that we have a common ground with. We also develop the same habits of those that are closest to us. It is part of our human nature. Just like yawning is contagious, we tend to mimic those that are around us either consciously or unconsciously.

Therefore, if you want to take a look at yourself, observe those surrounding you. Ask yourself if they are happy, unsatisfied, fulfilled, bitter etc. Then be honest when comparing your life to theirs.

If they seem like unhappy individuals that complain a lot but do little to change their realities then, I suggest you start searching for new friends. I am not telling you to go out there and ditch all your current friends right after reading this article. Instead, I suggest that you should try to expand your circle of friends. You can do this by joining organizations that interest you; taking courses that will help you enhance your professional and personal qualities, volunteering in your local community etc. However, I will warn you that as you start to make changes in your life you will notice, how some of your current friends and you will slowly drift apart. I know that the lost of any friend is always hurtful. However, do not be afraid of change. It is not always bad and it is okay to evolve as a person.

After observing those around you ask yourself some questions. Do they inspire you with their wisdom? Are they great at leading by example? Or do they bring you down with their half empty glass state of mind? W. Clement Stone said, “You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?”

So my final words are, be careful when choosing friends.

Kenia Morales

About The Author

Kenia Morales is the publisher of online magazine http://kpatra.com "For Every Aspect of Today's Woman. Visit her site to find a variety of women related issues and topics.” Click here http://kpatra.com/keniascolumn.htm to read more inspirational articles written by her.

keniamorales@kpatra.com

This article was posted on February 27, 2006

 

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