The Company We Keep

Thanks Hood. The trouble with having a creative friend like Nate is that they can somehow manage to compliment you and poke fun at you at the same time. I also end up getting dragged along (although willingly) in some of his creative ventures, like this blog. But I guess that's the price of friendship right?

I'm the kind of person that places a lot of importance on my friendships. Because of that, I often find myself thinking a lot about my friends. Not in a, "I wonder what they're doing right now" kind of way. But really, thinking about them. Who they are as people. The people, and experiences and circumstances that have helped to make them who they are. And ultimately, what impact do they have in my life? And what impact am I having in theirs?

I've been very blessed in my life not only to have a great family, but to have great friends. I really believe that in order to reach your full potential, it's important to surround yourself with people who will encourage you but still challenge you; support you yet correct you when needed. A scripture that Nate and I often like to quote is Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another". That pretty much sums up our friendship. We've learned to be encouraging and challenging, supportive and correcting. And to have the occasional laugh at each other's expense. It's the people around us that will help to keep us "sharp".

Most people would probably say that they keep "good" company. That their friends are "good" people that they get along with and enjoy hanging out with. And that's fine. But the question that I always ask is, am I keeping "the right" company? Are the people around me people who are pushing me forward towards my goals or are they holding me back? I want to surround myself with friends who can be iron for me and I want to be able to be iron for them as well. My goal is to have a greater positive influence on the my world than it has on me. It's a pretty lofty goal, I know. Sometimes I feel like I'm making an impact, other times I don't. Either way, it's a start.

What about you? Are the people that you keep close to you having a positive impact on your life? Are you having an impact on the lives of your friends?

I guess what I'm really trying to say is that, if you want to stay sharp, find some iron. Because ultimately, who we are and what we are is all just a reflection of the company that we keep.