How healthy are those around us? This is a great question for one to ask ourselves as we evaluate our lives daily. We often wonder how much of an influence do those around us have on us and how we behave.

Whether it is good or bad it is something very important to consider. For the good, do those around us have the ability to motivate us to do better and reach our highest potential? For the bad, are those around us influencing negative behavior and holding us back from our highest being?

In either case, I’ve learned it comes down to discipline. For example,

When I was an undergrad, I would go out every weekend like it was a ritual. It was always something to do and when it wasn’t time to study, it was time to party! As time went on with this, it seemed OK, I got to spend plenty of time with my friends, laugh and not think about homework or exams. This became a routine and I was a pretty decent student so I balanced this out until I graduated.

Upon graduating, I found myself wanting to devote more personal time to my talents, as I had spent the past five years working on my degree, this was time to explore my natural gifts (even though writing is considered one of my “natural gifts” lol). I wanted to devote more time to fitness, I wanted to begin a blog ( J ), I wanted to go to cosmetology school, I wanted a fitness show, I wanted to model… and the list goes on. As I looked around to my friends, I spoke openly about how I wanted to do these things as well as any self-projects they would like to do. We talked… and talked.. and talked. Nothing ever got done.

I wouldn’t say this was totally their fault; it was us as a whole. We contributed to going out and doing things unrelated to personal talents or self-projects. Slowly but surely I found myself drifting away, dong my own thing, I wasn’t asking my friends to go to the gym with me anymore. I didn’t ask them to repost my blog or tune into my show. I simply stopped asking and started working.

When we can take a step back from asking for validation in what we know we’re good at, is when we truly take the humble step to truly believe in ourselves. In doing so we gain new outlooks on life and what it means to simply BE YOU! As I mentioned it wasn’t just those around me, I was part of the problem.

As I contributed to going out and doing things unrelated to my personal goals, I was taken away the joy I wanted deep down inside. And because I enjoyed hanging with my friends so much, I couldn’t see that this was holding me back from accomplishing my new goals in life.

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I wrote this to open up some active minds into thinking, asking your inner self these four questions:

a. How great can I be if I simply disassociate myself with certain things, people and places?

b. How successful could I be if I became persistent in ALL things I’m good at?

c. Do my surrounds make more of a negative or positive impact in the direction I am looking to go in life?

d. What am I going to change today, to make for a better tomorrow?

This brings me back to my header,how healthy are those around us and how healthy am I to those I am around?If we are at the same table, are we eating different food or sharing the same dish.