It is better to be alone


IT IS BETTER TO BE ALONE …….

Mario D'Couto 

            It is better to be alone than in the wrong company. This article is actually a chapter from the book, “KNOW YOUR LIMITS – THEN IGNORE THEM” by John Mason which I thought was worth sharing,

“Tell me who your best friends are and I will tell you who you are. If you are with wolves you will learn how to howl. But if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights. The book of Proverbs says, ‘A mirror reflects a person’s face but what he/she is really like is shown by the kind of friends he/she chooses’ (Proverbs 27:19).  The simple but true fact of life is that we become like those whom we closely associate, either for better or worse. Think about it, almost all our sorrows spring out of relationships with the wrong people. Instead, ‘Keep out of the suction caused by those who drift backwards’ (E. K.  Piper).
The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. A true Bulgarian proverb confirms it, ‘If you find yourself taking two steps forward and one step backwards, invariably it’s because you have mixed associations in your life.’ If a loafer isn’t a nuisance to you, it’s a sign that you are somewhat of a loafer yourself. I have discovered that an important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people.
A true friend is one who is there to care. They remain your friend even if you don’t deserve to have a friend. They will see you through when others think that you’re through.
Choose your associations carefully. This old saying is true, ‘He that lies down with dogs, shall rise up with fleas.’ Thomas Carlyle observed, ‘Show me the person you honour and I will know what kind of person you are, for it shows me what your ideal of personhood is, what kind of person you long to be.’
       If you were to list your greatest benefits, resources or strengths, you will find that money is one of the least important ones while some of your greatest resources are the people you know. Mike Murdock once said, ‘Someone is always observing you who is capable of greatly blessing you.’ A true friend sees beyond you to what you can be.
       Invest in good relationships. The way to make a true friend is to be one. Your wealth is where your friends are. Consider what Francesco Guicciardini said, ‘Since there is nothing so well worth as having friends, never lose a chance to make the right ones.’
       As you grow, your associations will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you stay where they are. Friends that don’t help you climb, will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don’t increase you, will eventually decrease you. 
       Consider this: never receive counsel from unproductive people. Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone has the right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person.
       Don’t follow anyone who’s not going anywhere. With some people you spend an evening, with others you invest it. Be careful when you stop to inquire for direction along the road of life. Wise is the person who fortifies himself/herself with the right friendships.”

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