Back a long time ago when dinosaurs walked the land and the Earth didn't have as many wankers on it, I used to play video games; well, one video game in particular called Ghost Recon. I used to play on a PC against my brothers who were all over the world and had faster internet speeds so I used to get my ass kicked a lot; builds character I guess. Soon after all those ass kickings I realised video games were for babies and there were much better things to be doing, so I stopped. Anyway, this post has nothing at all to do with gaming...however I used the title level up which I guess is a term used in gaming so maybe this post is about gaming.
Ok, it's not about gaming.
Over a coffee today I was chatting with a fellow who's life has run off the rails because he's allowed it.
He hasn't taken responsibility for his thoughts, attitudes, actions and reactions and so has been little more than a passenger in his own life rather than the person driving it; that's rarely going to end well. We talked around a few concepts and the subject of bad influences came up, something he feels he has been quite negligent of after discussions with me in the past. You see, as we spoke, it became apparent his circle of acquaintances and friends are generally not right for him, negative rather than positive influences, and he now sees that it's held him back, or down.
I'll not go into the discussion here, it's private, but I will say that I one hundred percent for certain feel confident that good and positive influences will improve one's life and the opposite will do the opposite. It's an easy concept but not always easy to deploy though because sometimes the wrong influences can seem fun, enjoyable and engaging and who wants to give that up right?
I think it's important to see the bad influences for what they are and a lot of the time that means piles of self-reflection and honesty and a large degree of responsibility and discipline moving forward, especially when it comes to removing bad or unproductive influences and replacing them with good ones.
I don't have all the answers and certainly aren't here to instruct anyone; all I know is what I have done, my own experiences, and what is that?
Well, I levelled up my influences which means the people I allowed around me, those I chose to spend time with including professionally, socially and within my friends group. I cut people lose and drifted (ran sometimes) away from them and towards better opportunities and I was mindful not to stay around in negative environments. Being brutally honest here, one such person was a family member, a brother as it happens, and I'm better for it.
If someone is negative for you don't go as often and don't stay as long, and if you can avoid going altogether, do that even should the person be a family member.
Back to the chap above...He walked away feeling a little conflicted, I guess knowing he (for his own good) had to cut a few people lose will do that to a person, but he also walked away feeling empowered to take better control of his life and determined to level up his influences; it'll take a little while but he knows who's first and that'll open the flood gates.
Have you ever levelled up your friends group or those around you who have the opportunity to influence you? Did you find it difficult? Easy? How did your life improve? If you're one who likes to have negative and unproductive friends around, why is that and do you think there may be a better way? Feel free to comment if you'd like.
