Want to Be Happy? Spend More Time with Positive People

“People inspire you or they drain you. Pick them wisely.”

Hans Hansen

It has been said in many ways by a variety of self help authors and gurus throughout the ages that who you are is reflected by the people you spend the most time with. This was a huge lesson for me as I entered the field of fitness. As a lifelong athlete, I thought I was drawn into the gym by the workouts, but truth be told, it was actually the ENERGY of my instructors and the people who showed up and took classes alongside me. Here’s why that made a huge difference.

Positive People Infect You with Positivity

In a nutshell, this is how I experience positive people at the gym. They are:

• Always excited to be there, even if they struggled to get out the door in the morning.
• Highly encouraging to those around them.
• Interested in the lives of the people around them, including their instructors and fellow members.
• Committed to their own emotional, psychological, and physical health.

The most notable shift I noticed when I started spending more time with positive people was that I felt more balanced, accomplished, and content when I was around them. Talk about a daily dose of positivity!

The Opposite: Negative People Ooze Negativity

In contrast to my experience at the gym, there were areas of my life where I was constantly around negative people. In these situations, I often felt anxious, sad, hopeless, incompetent, and small. That’s because, negative people tend to:

• Complain constantly. There seems to always be something bad happening in their lives.
• Blame others for their misfortunes and never themselves.
• Belittle others because of perceived imperfections.
• Resist change and discourage others from making change.
• Wallow in negativity

What’s unfortunate with negative people is that they tend to drag you into their negativity, intentionally or unintentionally. My recommendation: avoid them whenever possible. Develop the relationships you have with positive people and you will bring more happiness and ease to your life.

Do you agree or disagree? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Nadia