when I was a kid, my parents would occasionally say to me… 

"You are who you surround yourself with." 

& as ya get older you realize how dramatically true this concept is 

the people we regularly interact with heavily influence our character, mindset, our behaviors 

positive, motivated people can inspire growth

negative or stagnant individuals may limit our potential 

our environment reflects back on us, shaping our attitudes, habits, & worldviews 

the company we keep defines much of who and what we become 

 I can barely stand most of the people I know from high school and college etc. mainly because I would never choose those types of relationships for myself now. 

 interesting.  I’m somewhat the opposite. 

in junior high & my freshman year of high school, I hung out with the wrong crowd—most of them ended up dropping out. I realized they were headed nowhere, & I literally had to fistfight my way out of those friendships.

that’s when I realized who I wanted—actually, who I *needed to surround myself with.  most of my adult friendships are still today rooted from those changes I made in my teens and twenties