Choose your friends wisely.... I have :)

I read this excerpt posted by a friend today by General Colin Luther Powell and began to think over my life and the friends I have made......those that are still around and those that I only talk to on occasion and those who were great - but were only passing through......
FIRST - I can not even begin to tell you how LUCKY I am for all the people in my life right now!!!  I have some of the best friends and family that a girl could ask for.....and I have had the privilege of spending time and getting to know so many people through out my life.

I would definitely describe myself as somewhat of a free spirit.  I know a little bit about a lot of things because I rarely say no to trying or learning something new!  Yes I have goals and places I want to be in life - but at the same time, I try really REALLY hard to enjoy each and every day of my life along the way.  Where ever the roads leads me I try to stay positive......and take time to enjoy those I meet along the way  :)

Along that journey - I have met some really GREAT friends who challenge me every day.... challenge me to be better, challenge me to look at myself as a strong independant woman, they challenge me to GROW and I think that is so important!  Every day should be some sort of learning experience in some way.....

So I just want to say thank you to all my wonderful friends new and old and those that have come and gone, for making me who I am today!!  And I want to thank GOD today for the wonderful family, immediate and extended, that I have been blessed with  :-)

The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people. As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are.. Friends that don't help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don't increase you will eventually decrease you.

Consider this:
Never receive counsel from unproductive people. Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person. Don't follow anyone who's not going anywhere.
With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it.. Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life. Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships. If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights.


"A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses."

The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate - for the good and the bad.

Note: Be not mistaken. This is applicable to family as well as friends. Yes...do love, appreciate and be thankful for your family, for they will always be your family no matter what.. Just know that they are human first and though they are family to you, they may be a friend to someone else and will fit somewhere in the criteria above.

"In Prosperity Our Friends Know Us. In Adversity We Know Our friends."

"Never make someone a priority when you are only an option for them."

"If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.."