It can easily be argued that even the most personally fulfilling accomplishment will lose its luster if we don’t have a loved one to share it with. A family member, a friend, or a significant other. These are the people who make our short time on earth here worthwhile.

On the flip side though, we have all met the type of person who literally drains us of our energy. The type who is always finding (or creating) something to complain about. These people serve as a virus to our happiness and can easily destroy it, if we let them.

The problem is that many people are unaware of their ability to cut these people out of their lives. It’s easy to get comfortable, develop attachments, and really not see the damage that their negativity is doing to your life. You may begin to think that there is something wrong with you, perhaps depression, less self-worth, a lack of motivation, or less enjoyment from things you used to love doing.

The wrong people will make you question what you, yourself, are capable of. It’s important to realize the weight they can put on your shoulders, and that these feelings are not coming from within.

Not all of these situations are extreme in the sense of emotional or verbal abuse, but even something as small as discouraging you from pursuing your dreams, making you feel as though you’re not good enough, generally dragging down your morale, etc., can drastically deplete your chances for success and happiness.

The right people will motivate you to become the absolute best version of yourself, without changing who you really are…just by being around you. The right people will be pursuing their own dreams and therefore believe it is possible – so they will encourage you to follow your own; even if they don’t have to say anything to do it.

The right people will be standing next to you not only on the sunny days, but also on the rainy days. In fact, they’ll be the ones holding the umbrella over you.

It’s not just about finding the right people to be around – it’s also about BEING the right person to be around.

Each of us has a limited amount of time here on this earth, and the only truly lasting things that continue after we are gone, are the stories and memories of our existence in the minds of others. The stories told that really matter aren’t going to be about the kind of car you drove, the type of watch you wore, or whether or not your shoes had red bottoms.

They will be about your moral fiber, how you treated those around you, and how you chose to live your life to the absolute fullest.

Your ability to create the most positive, powerful legacy possible, will have much to do with the people you chose to surround yourself with on a daily basis. Choose wisely.
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Have a great day! — drinking coffee.