“Lovin’ The Crew”
“The group of people that you keep around you is a representation of who you are.”
“Jem” ~ Kevin Hart
Quote source: You must get up and give 100% everyday!/Kevin Hart top 10 rules (Evan Carmichael)(Youtube published date 4/13/18)
Have you ever heard the phrase "birds of a feather flock together"? When I was growing up I was always taught the concept of "watch the company that you keep." My senior year in high school, a group of "friends" and I went to a diner for breakfast while we waited to take our final exams of our high school careers. Not thinking that anyone didn't have money we all made the trip to the diner. When the bill came, a few of the people that I was with stated that they that they couldn’t pay for their meals. Not having enough to pay for all of us, I left my share, tip included, and waited outside for the rest of the group. We made our way back to the school and I figured that everything had worked out. A half hour later or so another student came up to our table after getting some food from that same diner and said that the waitress knew that our bill hadn't been paid in full. My first thought was "wow, I won't be able to show my face in that diner again". For the first time I truly understood the importance of watching the company that I kept because even though I had done the right thing and left my full portion of the bill the others hadn't and I was guilty by association. Talk about being embarrassed.
Whose in your "crew"? You know the top 5 people that you hang out with. Do they consist of crabs or eagles?! Crabs have the tendency to pull you down on your way to the top. They are the dream crushers, the pessimists, the ones that truly don't want the best for you, the ones that don't believe in you most likely because they don't believe in themselves. They are the ones that try to discourage you and convince you that your goals aren't good enough. Now the eagles are the dreamers, the ones that are constantly moving towards their own goals while encouraging, supporting, and cheering you towards yours. They are the ones that will give you a good kick in the butt when you slack off, the ones that will lend an encouraging word the times that you grow weary and the ones that always assure you that things will work out. Those are the type of people that we should be and associate with consistently. When we "fly" amongst the eagles we don't have a choice but to soar in every aspect in our lives.
It is true that others will judge you based on the people that you associate yourself with because of the perception that it gives. One thing to consider regarding this is that you naturally attract who you are. Spirit knows spirit. This means that the type of person that you are will attract others that share the same character and personality as you. Of course not exactly the same, but at the core foundation have very similar values. Also, keep in mind that spirits transfer and so it is important to be around people that will transfer the right type of attitude that will benefit your quality of life. For example, have you ever been having a great day and you talk to someone who may have as they say “woken up on the wrong side of the bed”? Maybe that person exchanges remarks that are rude or they look at you a certain way or roll their eyes at you for no apparent reason. All of a sudden you become annoyed with their unnecessary unpleasantness, turning your great attitude into agitation. Most likely, if you are able, you can remove yourself from their presence and hopefully not allow this exchange to alter the rest your day, but if you’re not and have to be around them for a longer period of time, it is possible that their distasteful spirit can rub off on you causing you to to abandon the great day that you were initially having. It is detrimental to constantly be around people that always display a negative disposition.
So the question now is what type of person are you, or better yet, what type of person do you aspire to be? Are you a crab or an eagle, do you have a positive demeanor the majority of the time, or does any and everything consistently upset you causing you to display a bad attitude on a regular basis? It is important to take inventory of not only ourselves and who we are, but also of the type of people that we chose to invest our time in. The best way to be productive with this inventory is to first have a clear understanding of what you aspire to be, what you want in life and what success is for you specifically. Once you have this defined you must then make the choice to not only surround yourself around others who align with your approach and goals but also surround yourself with those who are already where you want to be so that you have first hand insight of what it takes and looks like to be there one day.
I hope that you take a moment to really think about your crew and seriously evaluate all that you all bring to each others lives. Are you weighing each other down or lifting each other up to become all that you can be? Remember, iron sharpens iron so I encourage you to do your part and hold your friends accountable for making sure that they do theirs. As the popular proverb states "tell me your friends, and I'll tell you who you are." Do you love who you are based on who is in your crew?!