This year I have come to realize that people in your life truly do affect the way you act, feel and do. When an individual is lifted up and supported by others they can accomplish extraordinary things. However, when you are with those who tear you down it can be detrimental to your well-being. You should notice the people you are around; most likely, you pick up on more of their actions and habits than you believe. It is not that one should spend all of their time with people who are just like you; variety and new points of view are important characteristics in friends.

Here are five reasons to surround yourself with those who build you up, not tear you down.

1. You will have a newfound confidence for yourself.

When you have positive people supporting the things you do, you will become more confident. With people bringing you up it will have an affect on the way you view yourself.

2. You will realize that being you is that best thing you can be.

Being you is a wonderful thing. Ever had that friend you could tell anything to? These are the friends who admire your flaws instead of taunt them. They lift you up and challenge you in ways you would have never before thought possible. When it comes to this type of friend, quality is much better than quantity. Find those people who love you for you, all flaws and corks included.

3. Positivity is contagious.

Positive people make others positive. Positivity spreads like wildfire. Ever heard the expression. “treat others as you would want to be treated?” This is applicable in this situation. When others you choose to surround yourself with are uplifting, kind and genuine you too will want to exemplify that to others. Pass the positivity torch around, be the person who is positive, seek out those who are positive and soon your life will be positive.

4. We become like those who we are the most fond of.

Think about the people you look up to most, whether that is friends, family or guardians. These are the individuals that you strive to learn more about and become. When you are around others so often, you grow a fondness and love for all that they do. When these individuals are broadcasting a positive light and motive into the world, it will also shine through you. We look up to and admire those we are fond of; we want to gain characteristics just like them because we see the promising outcomes it has had for them.

5. These people that build you up will make you happy.

Having a fulfilled, loving life includes being happy. We must be happy in what we are working towards each day, our motives and ambitions in life. If we choose positive people to join our lives they will make us feel happiness. Happiness is an emotional state of well-being where we experiences intense joy and satisfaction. Happiness can come from all sorts of sources, one being the positivity that surrounds us. If we want our whole lives to feel happy, we must start with those we see and spend our time with most often.