Because my values differ from yours, I prefer not to tell you specifically who to allow in to your circle and who to discontinue a relationship with.  But I can tell you which things I look for in people, when I’m growing and which type of people, I prefer to be around me. First of all, I prefer to connect with people who are also willing to do the work necessary to grow and this doesn’t necessarily mean quickly.  Growth is a one-step-at-a-time process and sometimes different obstacles either speed up or slow down growth.

 

Secondly, I prefer to connect with people who are secure within themselves. What do I mean by that? We all have insecurities, right? What I’m referring to when I mention a person being secure within themself is that the individual is willing to be in a relationship with someone who may be more proficient than them in an area(s).

 

Today, as an entrepreneur I often surround myself with people who know more than I do and have greater experience than I do so that I can learn new ways of doing things.  I prefer to not be the sharpest tool in the toolbox as I’m expanding my knowledge and way of doing things. The greater the number of people I surround myself with who embrace learning from more experienced individuals the more likely my personal network of positive, like-minded purpose-driven individuals also increases. If a person is content with the knowledge they have, or threatened by someone else who appears to have more knowledge than them, then chances are that a relationship with them may quickly turn toxic, and no one needs toxicity in their life.

 

Finally, I prefer to connect with people who enjoy being adventurous with their thoughts (thinking outside of the box), transparent and communicate openly with one another.  Does this mean that we always need to agree on every topic? No. It definitely doesn’t and as a matter of fact I would be bored if everyone around me only talked about things I have knowledge about.  It would also be boring to communicate with people who never made mistakes. 

 

Always remember that who you are today, who you were in the past, and who you are in the future will sometimes be dictated by external circumstances beyond your immediate control. However, YOU and only YOU have the choice to be true to yourself. Don’t allow people to dictate what is right for you when they probably have no clue what is even right for themselves. Therefore, if it feels right to allow some folks to roll with you into your next chapter then maybe it’s the right thing to do. If it feels inauthentic then maybe it’s not the right thing to do.  In either case, life is a beautiful gift and ALL people have something of value to give to you even if you don’t know how to acknowledge it yet.

 

 

Thanks for reading!

 

~Ebonie