Who do you Surround Yourself With?

Social Circle. Social Environment. Decisions.

Photo by Simon Wilkes on Unsplash

An Unplanned Observation

I was taking my morning walk as always. Streaks of sunlight were beginning to penetrate the virtual overhead–composed of leaves and branches–that nature had created. Reminded by the importance of slowing down when necessary, I took the time to scan the vicinity that is supposedly all too familiar to me. To my astonishment, I made a new discovery; one that not only startled me but almost filled me with guilt–for I was here every day, yet I had been oblivious to this occurrence.

I had failed to observe the stark contrast between the trees that were arranged on the two respective sides of my path. On my right, there were trees whose trunks had been inordinately infested with parasitic species. These parasites have convoluted themselves around the trunks of the trees which would have been better off left alone. The sight was disgusting. An additional second spent on paying attention to these details would amaze me, but simultaneously also chilled my spine and made me wince in distaste. As I moved forward, I observed that there were trees on my right whose lives have been taken. They had collapsed; as a result of the persistence of these brutal and determined parasites, which now continued their own lives (literally) upon these snags. I felt an involuntary pang of sympathy for these dead trees.

My left side presented a much less distasteful view: trees stood tall–-they were upstanding, healthy-looking (at least to a lay person who possesses awfully limited botanical knowledge, like myself) and appear to be able to maintain their positions for a long time to come. At the foot of these trees were green grass which appeared to be sharp as blades and soil which possessed a color that exuded purity. Their locale did not seem to display the slightest sign of contamination that would cause a wince on one’s face. As if by chance, they happened to also be positioned in the area where any creatures or beings that would be a source of disruption to their access to sunlight was absent. If anything, sunlight was in abundance.

I did not stop my morning walk, but my mind had halted at these sights and had begun its contemplation on the potential lessons that should be gleaned from, by me, the eternal learner.

Reflection

The contrasting sights were an illustration of a valuable lesson for me, for us. That is, who we surround ourselves with will determine the outcome of our lives. Welcoming nuisances who are characteristic of parasitic species–resentful, deceitful,  jealous, lazy, unproductive, stingy, negative, apathetic, envious, prideful, vain–is the definite precursor to being convoluted, choked, strangled, impeded and drained by them. Your potential will be extinguished; your energy drained; your performance plummeted; your life permanently ruined, should the absence of proactive departure, self-help and extrication persist and prolong. 

On the contrary, the induction of individuals who are characteristic of divine embodiments–grateful, honest, selfless, hardworking, productive, generous, positive, enthusiastic, humble, considerate, thoughtful–is the propellant that enriches, inspires, enlightens, humbles and grounds you. Your potential will be maximized and realized; your goals clear; your level of literacy advanced; your mind sharper than ever; your trajectory of life elevates, with both linearity and occasional exponentiality, should treat their presence with gratitude, reciprocity and as an avenue to self-enrichment. 

I have done my best to demonstrate the two modes of life as distinctively as possible. I believe you will be sufficiently perceptive to make the best choice for yourself.

We are not Trees

Yes. We are not trees. Unlike the pitiable trees which I have used to articulate my reflection, we are mobile, active agents who possess cognitive abilities to plan, strategize, reflect, prioritize, hypothesize and think. We are also sufficiently fortunate–for the most part–to be selective of the social groups with whom we acquaint ourselves. 

I hope to be a voice through which you derive helpful information that will facilitate your engagement in self-reflection. 

Who do you Surround Yourself With?