Home

Associating Yourself With Positive People

The people you associate with - whether on the job or socially - can have a motivating or a demotivating effect on you. Some folks see life in a positive light and are natural motivators. If a positive person asks you how you're doing and you say, "Not well at all. I've had this cold for a week now," their response is something like, "I'm so sorry. I bet you'll be good as new and feeling better in no time!" A negative, demotivating person may respond by saying, "I know what you mean. A cold like that can sure ruin your week. If you're like me, it'll probably take you a whole month to get over it!"

You associate with some people not by choice but simply by circumstance. You can't choose your coworkers, for example; sometimes you have to do the best you can to work with and get along with them congenially. However, you don't have to associate with demotivating people at breaks, meals, or after-work social events. Find ways to remain cordial, but don't spend too much time with those people.

Instead, surround yourself with people who make you feel better about yourself, people who notice what's right and good instead of what's wrong and bad. Everyone has said on some occasion, "I just feel inspired; I feel better about myself and my future when I'm around so and-so." In other words, choose to associate with people you want to be more like.