Welcome To Day 22 - Who Surrounds You
Today I want to talk about this quote, "I will seek wisdom. I will choose my friends with care. I am who my friends are. I speak their language, and I wear their clothes. I share their opinions and their habits."
I would share this several different times a day. This is what I would share with my god-children when they would tell me about friends or significant others. You have to be very careful about who you surround yourself with. There is guilt and praise by association. Let me be clear, you should not keep people away from you. We are created to be relational beings. We thrive together, and need each other to operate at peak performance.
With that being said you should be very careful about who you allow into your inner circle. Your inner circle really has a tremendous influence on who you are. Surround yourself with people that build you up, people who help you dream, people who inspire you to grow. The worst thing you could ever do is be surrounded by people who are negative, who immediately tell you why something cannot be done, who remind you of how hard it is.
I used to have a group of guys that I would talk to who were way ahead of me, in my opinion. Listening to them made me want to be a better husband, father and business man. I had another group of guys that I studied biblical leadership with. We were all headed in the same direction and held each other accountable for growing. When we moved away from Texas that was one of the first things that I sought out. I found some guys who I respect that inspire me with their actions. Are the perfect? No. But that doesn't matter. I am very selective so it will take time to rebuild my former network, but that is ok.
I recommend that all of you evaluate the relationships in your life and see who you are surrounding yourself with. I know that this is a hard subject but I hope that you can see the wisdom in what I have shared. It was hard for me set boundaries on people who were used to full access to my life.
I Will Seek Wisdom
Knowing that wisdom waits to be gathered, I will actively search her out. My past can never be changed, but I can change the future by changing my actions today. I will change my actions today! I will train my eyes and ears to read and listen to books and recordings that bring about positive changes in my personal relationships and a greater understanding of my fellow man. No longer will I bombard my mind with materials that feed my doubts and fears. I will read and listen only to that which increases my belief in myself and my future.
I will seek wisdom. I will choose my friends with care. I am who my friends are. I speak their language, and I wear their clothes. I share their opinions and their habits. From this moment forward, I will choose to associate with people whose lives and lifestyles I admire. If I associate with chickens, I will learn to scratch at the ground and squabble over crumbs. If I associate with eagles, I will learn to soar great heights. I am an eagle. It is my destiny to fly.
I will seek wisdom. I will listen to the counsel of wise men. The words of a wise man are like raindrops on dry ground. They are precious and quickly used for immediate results. Only the blade of grass that catches a raindrop will prosper and grow. The person who ignores wise counsel is like the blade of grass untouched by the rain—soon to wither and die. When I counsel with myself, I can only make decisions according to what I already know. By counseling with a wise man, I add his knowledge and experience to my own and dramatically increase my success.
I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others. A wise man will cultivate a servant’s spirit, for that particular attribute attracts people like no other. As I humbly serve others, their wisdom will be freely shared with me. Often, the person who develops a servant’s spirit becomes wealthy beyond measure. Many times, a servant has the ear of the king, and a humble servant becomes king for he is the popular choice of the people. He who serves the most grows the fastest.
I will become a humble servant. I will not look for someone to open my door—I will look to open the door for someone. I will not be distressed when no one is available to help me—I will be excited when I am available to help.
I will be a servant to others. I will listen to the counsel of wise men. I will choose my friends with care. I Will Seek Wisdom
Hopefully this message is not too confusing. I had very little sleep last night and my mind is foggy. Great having you running along with me.
Go Go Go