We often become the people who we surround ourselves with. Take a moment to think of the people whom you spend the most of your time with. Think of their most positive characteristics and then think of their most negative traits. How closely are you related to those people? Oftentimes people are blind to their own behaviors, and a lot of the time they are a result of the energy around them.

Having high-energy does not mean you are hyper, it means that you are in a state of mind that allows you to reach your fullest potential happiness. Not only is it something that we give off to others, but something that we can give to ourselves. So it’s simple, the higher the energy, the better we feel. Happiness is truly contagious! My roommate’s boyfriend once said to her, “Why are you always so happy when Tia’s around?” (jokingly mad, of course.) She just laughed and so did I. Then again, the other night we went out to dinner with one of our future roommates. We had a great time and afterward, Paige and I both felt hyper and energized. We were just in great moods! That is how spending your time with people should make you feel! Another one of my friends is one of the most motivated, driven people I have ever met. Whenever I am around him, I feel like I can tackle the world. His energy is always so high, so optimistic, and so confident that it almost makes me look forward to the work that I have to do. (Almost, wink wink.)

While I may be conflicted with what career path to go in, I do know that I want to travel and help other people. So when I think about the work that I have to do in order to get certain jobs that I want, I welcome the challenge. I don’t know what my future holds exactly, but I am figuring it out while feeling freshly motivated each day. The reason for my energy is simple, I surround myself with highly motivated, happy, and kind people. I am constantly around others who make me want to be a better person. There have definitely been points in my life where I have spent time with people that didn’t help push me to be the best version of myself. They didn’t influence my creativity but rather made me want to hide it. I felt stuck in a rut for years, never completely myself and very unsure of everything I did or didn’t do. Trying to fit in is one of the most self-destructing things that a person can do. You should never be ashamed to be who you are meant to be. If you ever even feel a little bit embarrassed about what you want from life, then you are around the wrong people.

In order to get the very most out of this wildly amazing life, remember to keep your mind in the present. Do not focus on the past or the future, be in the here and now. Spend your days feeling grateful and following your passions. If you wish to be successful, study those who had similar goals to you and model that behavior. If you wish to be artistic, spend time with those that follow those pursuits. If you want to become better in any way, focus your time with those that dedicate theirs to that topic. Most importantly, take care of your body, nourish your soul, and go after everything that you want.

It is important to remember to pick the right people to surround yourself with in order to influence your creativity, motivation, and energy. I'm not going to lie, I definitely enjoy a few shots of espresso to kickstart start my day too! I'm convinced I can't live without coffee! Whoops. Anyways, creating an enlightening lifestyle is different for everyone; just remember to tackle it with full force because as far as I know, we only have one life!

"Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher."