Keys to Stepping into your Power – Part 2

Keys to Stepping into your Power – Part 2

So who do you spend time with and how do they affect your power:

I found it really interesting recently to pause for a moment and think about who I spend the most time with. Not so much who they are, but what qualities they represent and most importantly what effect they have on me. Do they boost me up, help me to be confident and stand in my power?

Research has shown that your level of wealth or happiness is related to the wealth or happiness of the 5 people you spend the most time with.

If you spend a lot of time around people you like or admire who are creative and happy then it will have a positive impact on your life and is likely to encourage you to be more creative and happy. They increase your feelings of trust in the world, and help you to speak up and stand in your power.

If you spend a lot of time around people who are constantly fearful, anxious or worried then likewise it will have an impact on your thoughts and feeling and on how you get on in the world.

That’s not to say that you should avoid all people who are fearful or anxious or worried! These are natural states of human nature and the world we live in. Obviously in a real life it’s more complicated than that! There are some people you get to choose and others are a part of your life whether you like it or not. Of course you don’t want to go ditching a dear friend when they are going through a rough time.

But the principle is still useful. There are some occasions when you get to choose who you are with and for how long. With a little care and attention it’s possible to make big changes in how you feel and what you feel capable of, just by hanging out with the right people.

It’s not about judging people as being good or bad – people are just doing and being the best that they can under their specific circumstances. This is about finding out who has a positive impact on your life and finding ways to spend more time with them.

So I read about this principle and spent some time wondering how I could apply it to my life.

• My parents and partner are fabulous, supportive, creative and (mostly) calming (yes I am incredibly lucky!). I love being in their company and I feel inspired when I am. So they definitely go on the list of – people I would like to spend more time with.

• My main group of face-to-face friends are also funny and creative, but at the moment, when I am around them I don’t feel good about myself. It’s not their fault, but at the moment I find myself spending much less time around them and am chosing to spend more time with my like-minded online friends. Controversial I know, but they lift me up and support me when I am down.

• My work colleagues…I only have limited control of who I spend time with at work, but there are some things I can do to make a difference – like pay attention to who I stand and chat to while making tea, or who I have lunch with.

I don’t know many people who are rich or who really happy with life … so if I want to be wealthy and happy, how can I get to spend time around wealthy and happy people? I’ve thought about this and have a couple of ideas that I’ve been working with.

So I started with thinking about what sort of people inspire me, who I look up to, who I would like to be like or who I would like to have as a mentor.

Then, having picked a few different people, I did some online research about them to see what sort of work/information they make available. And now I have a collection of books to read, some youtube videos to watch and am facebook friends with a few different people who inspire me. So now I get to spend time in the presence of some inspiring people. Ok so they are not physically here with me now, but I am learning from them and am being inspired and I am happy to report that it’s making me feel more confident and happy.

I’ve made a conscious choice to bring a certain type of person, and their energy, into my life. It does seem that they are having a good influence – I am seeing more possibilities for my life. More options seem to be popping into my head every day for positive ways I can change my life. It’s early days for me, but so far it feels good!

So who you do admire? What ways can you think of to contact the energy of the person you admire and bring some of that energy into your own life? Who can help you feel more comfortable to be you and to step into your power.

Hang out with some interesting people and you will become more interesting :o)