The Power Of Your Community & Environment
The journey of life can be very interesting but also challenging at some points. Our community and the people who surround our lives can help to make the journey more enjoyable or more burdensome. We often overlook certain key areas in our life which have a significant impact on our growth and development as individuals. One such area is our choice of companions and persons who surround our lives.
The people who surround our lives will influence the direction in which we go in. They help to influence the trajectory of our life. Who are the people surrounding your life? As a child, my mother always told me to choose my companions wisely. At that time, I didn’t fully understand what she meant or why she said that. However, as I got older I learnt the important lesson that, your life will always go in a similar direction to those with whom you surround yourself.
Unfortunately, not many people grasp this principle. Many people do not believe that their environment affects their life or their success. You are a product of the closest people who you surround your life with. Your environment will influence your thinking. Your thinking will affect your actions and your actions will impact your destiny. As the old proverb states, “show me your friends and I will show you who you are”.
If you want to grow to become fully who you were meant to be, surround yourself with growth minded and purpose-driven people. If you want to live a fulfilled life, start by surrounding yourself with people who love to serve others and who are positive thinking. If you want to build your relationship with God, then surround yourself with people who are actively pursuing their relationship with Christ. This is why the Bible says, “He who walks with the wise shall become wise.”
However, we must understand that just changing our environment won’t automatically make everything fall into place. As John Maxwell says, “If you change your environment but not yourself, growth will be slow and difficult. If you change yourself but not your environment, growth will also be slow and difficult. But if you change both your environment and yourself, growth will be faster and more successful”.
Here are some questions to consider when choosing wisely your companions and your environment:
1. Is the other person going to influence you to become a better version of yourself or not?
2. Do both of you have a similar vision for life?
3. Does the other person accept you as you are and wants the best for you?
4. Are you both honouring God with what you do?
5. Can both of you work collaboratively with each other?
6. Will both of you seek to add value to each other?
7. Is the other person going in the direction or have they already journeyed in the direction, in which you would desire your life to go?
It is important to note that it is not just about what you can gain from the relationship, (whether it is a friendship, business or family relationship or otherwise), but it is also what you can give. Always remember, the people who you surround yourself with, will be one of the major determinants between whether you grow to your fullest potential or not. Your environment will either help propel you forward or will hold you back.