If you’re the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with, then it makes sense to make sure you surround yourself with the best people you can find. You may know someone who encompasses all of these qualities, or maybe you have them yourself. However, I think no matter what you are able to do and provide for yourself, you should surround yourself with the types of people listed below. We all need encouragement, wisdom, and inspiration. Sometimes, we need these things to come from people outside of us to help us stay grounded, feel motivated, and put things into perspective.
1 – The Optimist
You need someone who sees the glass as half full. This person can help you see things from a positive point of view, help you overcome negativity and move forward.
An optimist will forever be looking for the silver lining in a bad situation. No matter what you’re going through, they can show you the positive side of your situation which can help reduce your stress and anxiety and improve your ability to stay positive during times of stress.
2 – The Goal-oriented and Planner
Sometimes we have goals in life that we just don’t know how to accomplish. Creating a path for ourselves can get difficult and sometimes we can’t see the next step we need to take.
Having someone goal-oriented, with superb planning skills can help you to break down your goals into small easy to reach accomplishments. They can work with you to figure out where your next move should be and help you with making decisions.
3 – The TrailBlazer
People who blaze their own paths in life are the most courageous people I know. To be able to do this, and do it confidently and persistently requires a lot of insight into yourself, and also the ability to read people and judge situations quickly. Because if you can’t do any of that, then it becomes much harder to negotiate your new path forward; society will put hurdles in your way; your peers will challenge you and question you; your friends will try to bring you down.
Having someone who can help you take a step back and view situations objectively, and can help you gain a whole new perspective to problem-solving and overcoming challenges. These friends will also help you to NOT care what other people think.
4 – Has Overcome Adversity
If you haven’t dealt with terrible life situations, then it becomes very hard to empathize with those who have. Those who have been dealt a bad hand at life are some of the best empathizers.
Having someone in your life that has overcome adversity, has gone through life-changing events, that has faced personal and/or professional challenges, can help you to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. They can show you what life is like for the other person and help you emotionally connect with others.
Another way to put this is that this person (or these people) can help you keep an open mind about others and avoid quick judgments.
5 – The Travel Junkie
Someone who’s traveled the world has a ton of stories to tell. They also are likely to be adventurous and willing to try new things.
This friend will help you out of your comfort zone and will teach you things about society and world culture that you probably never knew.
The Advantage Of Having Different Types of People In Your Life
The more diversity you have in your life (not just talking about race here), the better off you are (we all are). Different types of people and personalities have different ways of thinking and approaching life. Just because someone is doing something different than you doesn’t make them bad, or wrong, or weird. It just means its different. We all have things that work for us that don’t work for others. There’s no right or wrong way to live (unless you’re a murderer or a thief, in which case please re-evaluate your decisions).
The point here is to continue to learn from others. It’s easier to do that if you surround yourself with the types of people who challenge you, make you think, help you gain perspective and teach you new things based on their own pursuits and experiences.
Why Did I pick the Types of People above?
The types of people I’ve mentioned above are the ones who not only have worked hard and overcome obstacles, but they understand how to navigate problems, work through hardships, plan and prepare for issues that may arise and live life in the moment.
Nothing that I mentioned includes race or gender or established personality types. None of this has to do with being an introvert or an extrovert. Everyone, no matter what they look like, come from, or their personality is capable of any of the above traits. I think its more important to look for these traits and surround yourself with them as much as possible.
Give yourself the benefit of making a strong group of friends who are confident and can support you and teach you. Find your squad and keep em close.