Unleash your potential through the power of others
Are the people around you the best fit for your life?
There are five core types of people you should surround yourself with in your life, should you hope to be the best version of yourself: the inspired, the passionate, the motivated, the grateful, and the open-minded.
I didn’t come up with this little quote/philosophy; I actually screenshotted it from a post thegoodquote made on Instagram. Nonetheless, it touched me and resonated in my bones without having to overthink it. It was so simplistic, and yet it made so much sense.
Over the last two weeks, I have refused to spend my time with/ on anyone who I didn’t believe to be at least one of these things, and it has already had such an impact on my daily living.
As all my regular readers know, I am a firm believer in the power of other people, and how they impact the way we live our own lives.
Recently, a friend of mine and I sat down for a catch-up chat and brainstorming session for new ideas throughout the upcoming school year. We went on and on about varying topics that stimulated my brain and made me feel like I was engaging my energy in positive thinking and learning.
At one point, he got to saying how the most brilliant people are those who are able to apply what they learn to how they function and think in the real world.
It struck me as empowering and inspiring because I recognized that I am constantly thinking about how I can take what I learn from anywhere to use in something else.
Information is power, and one of the key driving forces behind it all is your mind.
Access to information is also a key element to unleashing your full potential as person, which is why people helping people should never be underrated or underestimated.
When I had to leave our meeting to get to another, my footsteps were lighter along the Faryon Bridge, and I felt as though I was looking at the world with fresh eyes. Really though, all along I knew this information about myself, but it took another person for me to remember the potential I had within me.
A week or so later I met up with another friend to talk, mainly mentorship through a new professional stage in my life, as well as just getting to know one another. After talking with him, I found I left our conversation with the same sense of consciousness and determination to do my best as the other meeting I just described.
Planned meetings like these always get me a bit jumpy, and maybe that’s just the slight social anxiety I’ve developed over the last couple years, but it also makes me excited to do a little something that puts me out of my comfort zone.
It’s times like these that I remember I am the only one who can change me if I want to do my absolute best and put in 100 per cent of the effort, and it makes looking in the mirror so much more rewarding.
So to you, reader, take some time to think about the kind of people you currently surround yourself with, and think if that's really the best fit for you. Do these people make you feel motivated to be the best you? Do they remind you of your most authentic qualities within yourself ?
Take some time, keep your communication open, and be fearless in pursuit of unleashing your true potential as a person. Tessa Smith, 19, is a Peterborough writer attending Trent University for English literature. Tessa is a two-time cancer survivor, amputee, a motivational speaker and activist for human rights, among other things. Contact Tessa at tessasmith329@gmail.com