We, as individuals, strive off of goals and accomplishments. Our aspirations lead us to start from the beginning of our life’s journey to the end goal, which varies depending on the individual. These differences are inspired by the people who influence our lives the most, including family members, friends, and role models. However, they are not he only factors that can influence our goals in life. The main synopsis of our aspirations come from those who nurture us, those who grow up with us, and those we ultimately look up to.

Family

Picture of a father and daughter sharing memories together (Source: www.unsplash.com)

Our foundation as human beings starts off at the very beginning, which is family. Family can be blood related or it can be those that raised us ever since we were young. Family develops the small quirks that we acquire, such as morals, tendencies, and values. We experience emotions such as pain, love, and loss with our family.

Since we closely relate to those that we consider family, we all tend to feel the same way. Topics of discussion become commonplace amongst family members. For example, if a family is sports centric, then the topic of discussion would include the NBA Finals, the upcoming UFC fight week, or the next major boxing match coming up next August.

In a normal family setting with two parents and two children, a father, a mother, a sister, and a brother all shape an individual in a certain way. The father and mother show that a relationship is necessary in order to start a family. They are the ones that provide for the children and are usually role models. A sibling offers different values, such as companionship, teamwork, and reliability. Often an individual will grow closer to their brother or sister in the future, since adulthood breaks down the barriers once created as teenagers.

Family develops our foundation as individuals. We are highly influenced by our family and small things such as the cultures that we celebrate, the language we speak, the accent we have, and the hobbies we love all come from the foundation of a household.

Friends

Picture of friends sightseeing the hills (Source: www.unsplash.com

Friends influence our lives in a different way. In general, friends are ones that we tend to share similar interests and choose to spend time with. Friends can be people of the same profession, same hobbies, or those we connect with on a deeper level. Through small talk, friends start sharing more personal information to create a much stronger bond.

Unlike family, friends are not completely tangible. If a conflict between friends occurs, it's possible the friendship could be in trouble. So, it's important to note that friends are important for an individual to choose, since they will be with you as you progress in life.

Friends influence an individual in a way that builds trust, comradery, and social skills. It's necessary to have friends in life because they help to develop connections, build someone's character, and understand the feelings of others. We become more wholesome having close friends, making those friendships an essential part of life.

Role Models

Firefighter near a roaring fire (Source: www.unsplash.com)

Role models can vary in different ways. They can be a parent, a popular figure, or a close friend. Role models have an understanding of those that look up to them because of the connection they share. They are important to have because it helps drive us to be productive and to find ways to become like our role model.

As we grow in life, we continue to follow in our role model’s footsteps, letting them influence what we do, what we dream about, and where we want to be. As we look up to someone, we strive to become like them and be a role model to a younger peer. The struggles and the successes that a role model experiences build up the hopes of anyone following in their footsteps.

Role models are necessary in our lives because they introduce us to having goals and aspirations. We will have more drive to put effort into our progress in life with a role model. We want to feel the same struggles and the same successes that our role model went through because, with a role model, we tend to become stronger mentally.

Our Influences

Groups of friends gathered around a campfire (Source: www.unsplash.com)

The people that influence our lives tend to be the ones that are closest to us. The actions that we take, the things we believe in, and the hopes and dreams that we wish to accomplish all spawn from our influences.

Family members, friends, and role models are the most impactful influences in our lives from the start to the end. These groups of people all help us build our own path in life. Without these factors, we can become unmotivated and not be able to progress as far as we'd like to. It's always good to have a positive force in our lives, since it helps build a positive character within.