Choose your friends wisely;

Choosing friends wisely is a vital key to become the person you aim to be. This is because your life reflects the sum total of the people you associate with and the relationships you nurture. A popular proverb states;

‘Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are’

The friends you spend time with will reflect who you are and the future you are creating.

How to choose your friends wisely;

• Choose your friends deliberately to suit your life plan and direction; Having a positive life plan and direction will keep you on track and make it easier for you to decide who you want to spend time with at various seasons of your life. Having a plan of where you are heading will also determine who you make friends with or who to keep away from without feeling guilty.

‘Bad company corrupts good character’ 1 Corinthians 15:33

• You cannot choose your family but you can choose who you want to be friends with; Even with family relations, you can decide who you want to be close to or not. Therefore, choose wisely and cautiously. Strive to stick to the type of friends that lead towards your path in a positive direction and motivates you to be your better self. Avoid dream killers who will often pull you down or send you on the wrong path.

‘A wise man is cautious in friendship’ Proverbs 12:26.

• Do not feel guilty about getting away from friends who are toxic or may have a negative influence on you; This is not only with physical friends but includes books or media you listen to, read or watch. In the current dispensation of digital age, we spend a large percentage of our time online, with media contacts, eBooks etc. Therefore, we must be conscious of the type of friends we associate with or the role models we choose as all wrong contacts (offline or online) could be equally detrimental. This is evidenced by the amount of violent or destructive tendencies (based on the negative effects of online associations) recorded in recent years which has resulted in outcomes such as suicide or crime.

In concluding, have a clear life vision; Plan your life positively, set your standards, determine where you want to go and what you want to achieve in life – It’s that simple! When we set out on a trip, we plan our journey so we know where we are going and how to get there, but with our life, which is far more important, most people just coast along and hook up with all sorts of wrong people and unnecessary distractions along the way.

‘He that walks with the wise grows wise’ Proverbs 13:20

If we have a clear plan of our life goals, then we will eliminate much of the distractions that occur because of hanging with the wrong people . These may not be bad people, but when you have a clear direction (or goal), you will recognise the people who are not heading towards the same direction as you are. Then it becomes easier to choose wisely – Good luck x