FRIENDSHIP

                                          EVALUATE YOUR FRIENDSHIPS

                  IT'S CRUCIAL THAT YOU EVALUATE YOUR FRIENDSHIP FROM TIME TO TIME EVEN THOSE YOU'VE MAINTAINED FOR MANY YEARS. TRUST ME, THIS ISN'T A MONOR ISSUE. THOSE WHO OCCUPY YOUR TIME HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMAPACT ON YOUR MOST PRICELESS POSSESION YOUR MIND!.

                  ARE YOU SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH NEGATIVE FRIENDS AND SPENDING A LOT OF TIME WITH THEM IN YOUR LEISURE HOURS? IF SO, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT SPENDING MUCH LESS TIME WITH THESE PEOPLE OR EVEN NO TIME AT ALL WITH THEM.

                SOUNDS HARSH, DOESN'T IT? AFTER ALL, I'M SUGGESTING THAT YOU LIMIT OR ELIMINATE YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH SOME LONG STANDING FRIENDS. WHEN I TELL PEOPLE THIS AT MY SEMINARS, INVARIABLY SOME ONE WILL RAISE A HAND AND ACCUSE ME OF BEING COLD OR UNCARING. THE AUDIENCE MEMBER WILL TYPICALLY SAY, SHOULD WE TRY TO HELP OUR NEGATIVE FRIENDS INSTEAD OF DUMPING THEM?

                 WELL, YOU ARE FREE TO DO WHATEVER YOU THINK IS BEST, AND EACH SITUATION MUST BE DEALT WITH ON ITS OWN UNIQUE FACTS. HOWEVER I WILL FOUND THAT IN MOST CASES, HANGING AROUND THESE NEGATIVE FRIENDS DOES NOT HELP THEM AND IT DOES'T HELP YOU EITHER! EVERYONE GETS DRAGGED DOWN BECAUSE MOST NEGATIVE PEOPLE DONT WANT TO CHANGE. THEY JUST WANT SOMEONE TO LISTEN TO THEIR TALES OF WOE.

                 IF YOU HAVE A STRONG URGE TO SPEND TIME WITH NEGATIVE FRIENDS ASK YOURSELF: WHY AM I CHOOSING TO BE WITH THESE PEOPLE?, CONSCIOUSLY YOU MAY BE CHOOSING TO HOLD YOURSELF BACK, TO BE LESS THAN YOU ARE CAPABLE OF BECOMING.

                 LET ME CLARIFY ONE IMPORTANT POINT. I'M NOT MAKING A JUDGMENT HERE THAT NEGATIVE PEOPLE ARE ANY LESS WORTHY THAN OTHER PEOPLE. I'M SAYING THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES IF YOU SPEND TIME WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE NEGATIVE. WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCE? YOU WILL BE LESS HAPPY AND LESS SUCCESSFUL THAN YOU COULD BE.