Surround Yourself With Those Who Want To See You Happy

Surround yourself with those who want what’s best for you. The ones who not only want to see you smile but also try to make you smile when you’re down. The ones who try to make your day brighter and your nights warmer. The ones who add a sweeter flavor to your life. The ones who know your value and your worth and remind you of it. The ones who lift you up when the world brings you down. The ones who help you bloom.

Surround yourself with those who make you feel like you’re easy to love. The ones who don’t magnify your minuscule flaws. The ones who make you feel loved and accepted for who you are. The ones who empower you to be a better person, a more positive person and a much stronger person. The ones who make you feel like you’re important and you matter. The ones who will always see the best in you.

Surround yourself with kind-hearted people. People who treat you with respect and kindness. People who have big hearts and care about you and your life. People who think about you and your feelings. People who avoid what hurts you and people who don’t demean you when they’re mad or angry or having a moment.

Surround yourself with mature people. People who don’t think your age or your background are reasons to disrespect you. People who don’t discount your opinions because you’re not as experienced as they are. People who don’t think they’re better than you. People who don’t rain on your parade when you’re shining.

Because I learned that the level of self-esteem and self-love you have is highly dependent on who you surround yourself with. You can do your part in trying to love yourself but you can’t do it alone, you need a helpful and loving inner circle.

You need a bold life free of criticism, negativity, fear, and tension. You need people who support your visions and your dreams and help you become who you’re supposed to be.

Because your company reflects how you feel about yourself, if you keep investing in people who only drain you, you’re going to lose. If you keep respecting people who don’t respect you, you’ll eventually believe that it’s okay for people to treat you poorly and get away with it.

I’ve always been an advocate for being a better friend and a better person and embracing all kinds of people with open arms but I’m learning now that you can’t invite bad energy into your life and expect to live a good one. You can’t invite animosity and expect love. You can’t invite people who bring you down and expect to be on top of the world.

So you can be a good friend and a good person but always know when to draw the line. Always know what it’s costing you and what you can and can’t afford to lose.

Rania Naim is a poet and author of the new book All The Words I Should Have Said, available here.