They say you are who you hang out with, so why choose the negative? Learn how to surround yourself with positive people and why it’s important.
When you’re among positive people, it’s hard not to be happy. When you learn how to surround yourself with positive people, you learn how to cope with the stresses of hardship. Never complaining and constantly striving to be better, they will push you to do the same. [Read: Couple time – signs you spend way too much time together]
You can’t deny that keeping positive people around makes you more positive. It’s like their happy mindset is contagious in the best way possible. The more you’re around them, the more you start emulating their characteristics.
This is usually a subconscious thing, but you’ll be able to tell by the way your life improves. You’ll notice subtle changes that can only be traced back to the people you surround yourself with.
Why is knowing how to surround yourself with positive people important?
Living a happy life is possible only if you surround yourself with people who have a positive mindset. In addition to changing your perspective, optimistic people have the power to enhance both your physical and emotional well-being and quality of life.
Learning how to surround yourself with positive people is important because mindsets are contagious. That’s why it’s said that if you want to know who you are, look at those with whom you spend the most time.
If you keep miserable company, you’ll keep a miserable mind. [Read: 15 types of toxic friends who make you miserable and drag you down]
On the other hand, if you spend your time with those who practice a little more gratitude and active optimism, those things are more likely to rub off on you.
Be careful with the company you keep
The people who will bring you down and steal your joy are the people you want to avoid. Keeping negative people around is clearly toxic for a number of reasons.
If they’re actively negative toward you by diminishing your accomplishments or insulting your clothes, it’s a bit of a bummer. Even if only passively, their negative attitude will give you a negative attitude.
Ask yourself, “Does this person have a good or bad impact on my life?” Do they make you feel good or bad about yourself? Are you happy and energized or tired and drained after spending time with them?
Remember that choosing the right people is the first step in learning how to surround yourself with positive people. [Read: How to ditch the bad company in your life]
Why you should learn how to surround yourself with positive people
Out of all the advice about how to better your life, telling you to surround yourself with positive people is by far the best we can give.
Not only will it be better for your happiness, but it’ll change your life for the better in a lot of different ways. Ultimately, the people you spend time with have a significant impact on your view on life.
Others that inspire you to be better and believe in the value of positivity should surround themselves with people who do the same. Here’s why you should definitely work on how to surround yourself with positive people. [Read: How to hone & increase your positive emotions in a negative world]
1. You’ll be more positive if you know how to surround yourself with positive people
The more you’re around someone, the more you start acting like them. Therefore, being near positive people all the time will naturally make you a more positive person, which will improve your life in so many ways.
Even in its simplest form, positivity is practically viral.
Think about walking through the grocery store. If you and a stranger are walking toward each other down an aisle and you pass them with a friendly smile, they’ll probably smile back. If you scowl, you’ll probably not get a positive reaction.
Kindness begets kindness.
The more good energy a positive person releases and shares with you, the better your life becomes. [Read: 17 ways to welcome positive energy into your life]
2. Your personal life will improve
The more happy energy you carry, the more people will want to be around you. That means you’ll make more friends, and you could even find love if you haven’t already.
If you’re lucky enough to have someone important in your life, your bond will only deepen. Your relationship will be stronger, and you’ll be able to get through the bad times together if you’re more optimistic. [Read: How to improve yourself – 16 powerful secrets of self-improvement]
3. Your work life will get better
You have the opportunity to meet a wide range of people in your workplace, so make sure to stick with the positive task-tacklers rather than the negative nay-sayers.
Pessimists are always preoccupied with the ticking of the clock at work, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. Optimists tend to be noticed for better reasons, such as their good attitude or ability to get things done.
As a result of their efforts, they rise as a stronger person. If you want to become a better and stronger person, you should know how to surround yourself with positive people at work. [Read: Love or career? How to make the right choice]
4. You’ll be more willing to try new things
Being with people who are more optimistic than you can impact not just your life but also your confidence in trying new things. Being optimistic helps you see good possibilities rather than simply seeing hindrances.
If you learn how to surround yourself with positive people, exploring new things will be ten times easier to accomplish. [Read: 30 new and exciting things to try as a couple]
5. Stress will dissipate
A lot of stress actually comes from people complaining and stewing over trivial issues. Basically, you’re making your stress worse just by lingering on it, which is why they say, “mind over matter.”
If you know how to surround yourself with positive people, you’ll be able to see that they have a different way of looking at things. With time, you can adopt that mindset and learn how to let things stress you out a little less.
6. It’ll be easier to solve problems
Why is it that positive people never seem to have any issues? It’s not that they don’t have problems in their lives, but they solve them with ease or just don’t fuss as much as negative people.
It’s easier to cope with obstacles if you have an optimistic view of life rather than one that’s dominated by negativity. [Read: Negative Nancy – 17 traits and ways to deal with their attitude]
You can see solutions and begin working to resolve the problem right away. This significant benefit comes from learning how to surround yourself with positive people.
7. You’ll be more satisfied with life
People who are excessively negative tend to only see what they don’t have. Positive people, on the other hand, are more grateful for the things in their lives.
If you surround yourself with positive people, you’ll start viewing life the same way, and that means you’ll be more satisfied with what you have.
Gratitude is a huge part of positivity, and it’s an easy place to start! If you constantly find yourself wishing that you had a fancier car, reframe your thinking by being grateful that you have four wheels to get you where you need to go. [Read: 17 ways to live a simple life and find more satisfaction]
8. You’ll have more success
If you’re more positive, you’ll want to do more. You’ll have more drive, motivation, and desire to accomplish your goals.
You don’t see too many negative nellies with riches and success.
This is the result you’ll get if you learn how to surround yourself with positive people. [Read: How to be more positive and increase the quality of your life]
9. You can overcome your limiting beliefs
Doubts, worries, and fears happen to every one of us, and that’s okay, but you have to be willing to make changes to see changes. If you don’t want to feel stressed or be in a depressing situation, you have to overcome it. You can’t sit on the sidelines and expect it to change itself.
If you know how to surround yourself with positive people, these limiting beliefs will be out of sight in no time. These people can show you how to effectively handle the heavy weights.
10. You’re more comfortable meeting new people
Being a more positive person comes with all kinds of perks, with confidence being one of the most beneficial.
If you start paying attention to positive people, you’ll notice that they don’t struggle as much when it comes to meeting new people. They don’t have the flimsy nerves that others do because their optimistic outlook has given them a quiet sense of confidence. [Read: How to build confidence – powerful changes to alter your life]
11. You’ll become more generous
Generosity and happiness go hand-in-hand.
Being happy makes you want to be generous, which makes you even happier, and it becomes a never-ending cycle.
Studies have shown that giving is literally good for your whole body, even if all you can give is a compliment. Generosity has positive effects on all kinds of chemicals in your brain, some of which can even have effects on your heart health.
12. You’ll live longer
We just mentioned heart health, so it seems fitting to state that studies have also shown that a positive attitude can contribute to a longer life.
It makes sense. It’s known that different types of poor health are often a side effect of stress, so why wouldn’t good health be a side effect of happiness? [Read: How to reduce stress – 17 fastest hacks to a calmer & happier life]
Even aside from that, beyond generosity, optimism can equate to motivation. Maybe this means that you’re motivated to maintain physical health with exercise or a healthy diet.
What qualifies a person as “positive?”
There are ways to be more grateful and less serious about life, even if it seems impossible to have a favorable view at first. If you want to be more positive, you must first take the steps required to achieve that state of mind. No one can impact your emotions except for you.
Knowing how to surround yourself with positive people means knowing how to find them. You need to know what qualities to look for so that you, too, can gain those qualities.
1. They support you
A positive person wants to see other people have success. They want to see you being your best self!
They’ll help lift you up when you’re feeling down, and you’ll be much happier and more encouraged to pursue the things you want. [Read: Signs your partner is truly supportive of your goals]
2. They see a solution instead of dwelling on the problem
Have you ever been around people who can come up with a solution to fix almost any issue right away? Those are the types of positive people you should have in your life. They’re doers rather than dwellers.
If they become unhappy with a situation, they’ll find a way to improve it instead of accepting their unhappiness as a fact. [Read: How to be positive – stop the downturn and find the silver lining!]
3. They’re always willing to help
We’re all in need of help sometimes. If you only have negative people who would rather point out the issues than help you, your life will be pretty hard.
You don’t want to be in that situation, do you? It’s always up to you whether or not you want to learn how to surround yourself with positive people.
4. They make you happy whenever they’re around
Positive people have a glowing energy about them. You can’t help but be happy in their presence.
Their positivity is infectious and easily spreads.
Your mood will almost always match the mood of those around you, so make sure that you’re surrounding yourself with those whom you wouldn’t care to be a little more like. [Read: Things you need for a perfectly happy life]
5. They care about you
The people in your life should care about you. If you doubt whether or not someone cares about you, they probably don’t. Only keep people around who value you because those people will be good to you.
Don’t hold on to people who only care about you when things are going your way or when you can benefit them. Having positive people in your life will make you feel valued at all times.
6. They motivate you to achieve your goals
Those who are supportive and encouraging will motivate and inspire you to achieve your goals. They can be the extra push you need to take your next step, no matter what that step is. [Read: 19 life quotes to motivate you to live a better life]
If you want to go back to school and pursue a different career path, a positive person will be there to calm your fears and let you know if you’re making the right decision.
7. They encourage you to ignore negativity
Optimistic people come out on top, no matter how awful things seem to be. They motivate you to concentrate on the positive aspects of your life and help you ignore the negative aspects that are all around you. [Read: What makes a good friend – 15 traits we desperately seek in a friend]
8. They help you make better choices
Through rough times, it is helpful to be guided by positive individuals. Using their advice, you may develop more sensible, practical, and valuable choices. They have a positive outlook and help us make the best decisions possible.
9. They make your life happy
Spending time with enthusiastic people makes it easy to live a happy life. They pay more attention to the good aspects of things. They freely point out the good rather than the bad, and the vocalized positivity increases your happiness. [Read: 15 things everyone should know about how to live a happy life]
10. They help you create happy memories
Positive people don’t waste a lot of time. Spending time with them is quality time that you’ll benefit from in one way or another.
Because they’re able to make the best out of any situation, any time is a good time.
How to surround yourself with positive people
Now that you know why you should surround yourself with positive people and how to identify some of their qualities, you need to know how to start your own collection of good influences.
You have to find people that you want to spend time with that will have a positive impact on your life, but where do you start? [Read: How to make new friends as an adult – 15 ways to do It right]
1. Decide to surround yourself with greatness
First, you have to make the decision that this is what you’re going to do. You’re going to live amongst the optimistic and open-minded. You crave that type of mindset, and you know that this is the way to get it.
If you make an active choice to surround yourself with good people, you’re automatically raising your own standards and setting the scene for what is and isn’t right for you. Ambitious, goal-oriented, and happy people tend to hang out with others with similar qualities.
2. Let go of negative relationships
If you’ve made the choice to foster positive relationships, it means that you need to be willing to let go of the negative ones. [Read: How to start a new life – 20 must-do steps to leave toxicity behind]
Your new lifestyle doesn’t have room for toxic relationships with people who bring you down and drain you of your energy. You want to spend your time with the people who build you up, so you don’t have time for negativity anymore.
If you’re questioning whether or not you need to let go of a particular relationship, consider how you feel after you’ve been around them. Would you be happy continuing to feel that way?
3. Join a professional group
If you have certain goals or particular hobbies, try to join a group that’s centered around those things. You’ll be able to socialize with like-minded people and forge new friendships. [Read: How to get to know someone – 18 ways to open up & make true friends]
There are all kinds of groups for small business owners, knitters, readers, women in business, men in business, and everything in between. The important thing is to find people with whom you have a common ground, and small groups are a perfect place to start.
4. Get out of your comfort zone
Nothing changes if nothing changes, and you have to be the one to take the first step. No one else can change your life for you!
Stepping outside of your comfort zone will almost certainly bring immediate results, even if it might make you a little anxious at first.
Put yourself in different situations and open yourself up to new people, and you’ll reap the benefits. To develop relationships with good people, you have to spend time where they are. [Read: How to broaden your horizons & get out of your comfort zone for good]
Why knowing how to surround yourself with positive people changes you
Make friends with those who bring you joy. Spending time with unhappy people is a waste of time. Make an effort to steer clear of anybody or anything that tends to put you down.
When they want to hang out, do something else. If you’re looking for a fun night out with your buddies, this is the time to go! Plan at least weekly get-togethers with your positive pals to boost your collective happiness! [Read: How to be funny and make people love your company]
If you only ever listen to one piece of advice in your entire life, listen to us when we tell you to surround yourself with positive people. It’ll have the most impact on your life in the best way!