Birds that flock together sometimes die together. I know that seems awful but it’s the truth. If a group of birds gather and an atomic bomb explodes in that area, it doesn’t select any bird, it kills them all.This is the same thing with friendship.
I didn’t think I would say this one day, but, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen situations where a group of people who have gathered at an event are advised to get tested of the virus because of the contacts they made at that event. To take our minds back a bit, an example of this instance is the African Movies Viewer’s Choice Awards (AMVCA) that was held on the 15th of March, 2020.
All attendees of that occasion were asked to go on isolation and observe themselves for possible signs of the infectious virus. The circle you associate yourself with is very important for your personal growth.It affects your productivity socially, financially, emotionally, professionally and morally. Okay, okay, let’s take them one after the other.
Socially, the way you spend your free time; who you spend them with; how these activities affect your lifestyle in general; how people perceive you; are very important aspects you need to take into consideration. If you are not able to get positive thoughts from these, then, you should look into changing your circle.
The group of people you meet with, chat with or talk to regularly make up your circle. These group of people have a great impact on your social productivity and you must choose them wisely. If your social relationships are not all about productivity or creativity, please form another circle.
Financially, things can get frustrating or remarkable. It depends on who you keep around you. Friends should support you because that’s why they are there in the first place. If your friends can be there for gossip or parties, they should be there for business.I’m sorry but if all your friends are broke, you’re broke as well because they will surely look to you for help every time. Before you know it, you’re broke before the next pay comes in.
Emotionally, your friends should be your backbone and not your back back breakers. Are your friends there for when your heart is broken or when you have lost a contract? If they are not, please be your friend and leave that group. Also, if you can only remember your friends for hurtful things, you shouldn’t give them that space in your life anymore. Keep healthy relationships and stay happy.
Professionally, the circle should be susceptible to professional growth. Please, avoid lazy friends. Success keeps people around you but you can also choose to be around successful people. Healthy competition is always welcomed in professionalism as it helps you get better. You should be confident enough to refer to each other for businesses.
Morally, our relationships play major roles in shaping our ethical standards. If your friends are responsible, it automatically rubs off on you. The people you share your thoughts or problems with matter a lot. Your friends should give you morally sound advice. If this goes wrong, there are problems.
For examples, your friend should tell you not to smoke in public as it depicts you as irresponsible. They should tell you not to hit your wife or children. They should give you trouble-shooting recommendations. You can discern good friends by the approaches they use in tackling issues.
Rapping it up, the essence of this article is not to create discord among friends. Changing your frequent circle is not supposed to be immediate. It is only meant to enlighten you more on the impact of positive connections.
To form new productive relationships, limit your party habits(not stopping them totally) and focus more on productive events like seminars, progressive social meetings and also, follow up contacts that can add value to your personal growth. Three groups of people you should have around you are your mentors, your friends (competitors) and people who look up to you for mentorship.
