Oh how important it is to surround yourself with those that value you. It might be too low to say that we always define ourselves by who we choose to be around. But is that not the reality? As humans, we do indeed tend to adopt certain behaviors of those we spend our precious time around.

It could be a blessing and a curse. People are not always bad, but they are not always good either. The important part is being able to decipher between the two for your own well being. Sometimes it is easy to spot right off the bat, other times it may take three years, a whole childhood, or a major trauma to be able to catch the slightest discomfort.

Whatever it may be, love yourself enough to see it for what it is. Love yourself enough to know deep down that you mean more. Love yourself enough to have the strength in order to move on from the mindsets that harm your essence solely because one person made you think that way about yourself.

Love yourself enough to let others see the good in you and let it shine through you. Let it overwhelm your heart and soul instead of allowing one petty person define you with what they think of you. Let me add the fact that it is only a projection of themselves and it has absolutely nothing to do with you.

Imagine being in a room filled with people that know your heart, want the best for you, and allow you to feel the way you feel without being judged or criticized. The ones that make you feel safe, loved, and admired.

These are the people that will never make you question yourself, or make you question them. The ones that believe in the same power you contain and see it in you every day. Even if you fall down, these people pick you back up instead of screaming at you for falling down in the first place. These are the people that unknowingly help you grow.

Now, imagine yourself in a room filled with people that have ever made you feel uncomfortable with yourself, made you feel as if you had to act a certain way, or made you question why the hell you are even in the room.

These are the people that make you subconsciously disidentify with yourself into something you are not. Which after a long period of time, you truly do become and start reflecting a very low version of what these people treat you to be. These are the people that stunt your growth.

Now imagine this: picture yourself sitting in each room for one whole week. Feel your mindset as if you are present with these people in these rooms. Very carefully, attempt to notice how you feel, how your mind and body react to your surroundings.

Then notice what you would want to feel differently if you could change it. Try to label each feeling as it arrises. If it's harsh, be aware that you can change it. If you feel like someone is asking things of you that you do not want to give, be aware that you can change it. If you feel content, humble, and happy, then continue to feel it the whole way through.

These feelings are just helpful little tips that are leading you throughout the worst and best times in your life. You get to choose. Reflect and choose. What lenses would you like to look out of today?

You get to choose how you perceive the world around you. And it all starts with how others around you perceive their world. The healthier you are, the healthier your relationships will be.

You do not attract what you want, you attract what you are. So be better. Choose better. Choose to put yourself on top everyday. Choose value, and choose people that ultimately choose you.