Psychologically normal people usually like to have friends. I don't know how psychologically normal I am, but I've always liked to have several people that I can call friends.
In fact, probably one of the reasons that I started drinking and using drugs in my early teens was a byproduct of my quest to have friends and people to socialize with. When I was in high school I used to seek out others willing to do what I did – which was drink,take pills, smoke marijuana, and use other drugs. And if they liked to steal a little bit, that was okay with me too.
However, these kinds of friends didn't help me accomplish much in life other than ending up with some kind of drug habit or a few trips to jail or prison.
These are all things a friend would do for another friend and that's why I do these things for myself. The things I did to myself in the past, a good friend wouldn't do to another person. Today, I have a totally different outlook on what a friend should be.
The first person I look to as a friend is the person who is looking back at me when I look in the mirror. After all, if I can't be a friend to myself I certainly can't expect to be friends with anyone else.
By being a friend to myself, I mean taking good care of myself in all respects. I try to eat right. I exercise. I visit the doctor when necessary. I work at keeping my stress level down. And I meditate. I'm not very self-critical.
So who do I look to today to be my friends? That's an easy question. I look to people who can enhance my life, who can help me become a better human being.
And where would I find these people? I find many of them in 12 step meetings, the people who can help me stay clean and sober and keep my stress level down. I also look to people in the business world who can help me advance my business and investment career.
And you know, the interesting thing? It's as easy to find people who can help you do positive things in your life as it is to find people who drag you down and keep you from achieving your goals. You just have to look around for others who share your same interests and goals. Believe me, they are out there.
No comments:
Post a Comment