Some people call them their network. Some people call them their support system. Some people just call them friends and some take it a step farther to call them family. The only thing many of us know is we wouldn’t be who or where we are today without them.
People who grew up in the 1990’s often watched a show called Boy Meets World which was rebooted a few decades later into a sequel called Girl Meets World. For those of us who watched those shows we learned that the number one rule of life is as follows: people change people. That may be the most important lesson to learn in any field: people change people.
A research study was done where scientists discovered we become like the 5 people closest to us. ( https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201504/5-reasons-studies-say-you-have-choose-your-friends ) Obviously this changes over time as we grow and the people around us grow with us. What it means, however, is our friends and family contribute far more to our successes than we may initially care to admit.
So, if your friends prize hard work, you are more likely to. If they hold taking care of each other to a high standard, you are more likely to return that towards others. This isn’t to say: be careful with whom you associate. It’s more to say, our people make a huge difference in our lives, more than we generally realize, so try to thank your 5 closest people today if you can…and maybe give them a hug if they’re close enough.
Happy music making.
Samantha J. Haake Flute 