Who’s Influencing You?

We are all influenced by the people that we spend the most amount of time with, we are influenced physically, mentally and spiritually. We can’t help it, it’s human nature, it’s in our DNA. Often, when we talk about ‘influence’ we tend to think about Instagram, bloggers and celebrities, but, the people in your real offline life are influencing you just as much, if not more.

Have you ever visited another country and after a few days you start to notice your accent change a little bit or you notice yourself saying a word that you would never usually say. You’re subconsciously attempting to mimic the people that you are interacting with. You might try to match another persons energy and body language too.
As a parent, I see a huge influence on Jude’s behaviour and energy, depending on who he has spent a lot of time with. He has lots of different interactions each day, whether that’s with his school teacher, football coach or Grandma, but, it’s his peers that have the biggest impact by far. Jude is far to young to be aware of ‘influence’ but I can already see him learning and imitating things that he has seen. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, depending on who he is attempting to copy, and the same can be said for adults.

Who do you go to when you need advise? Does that person give you their honest opinion or are they just telling you what you want to hear? Some people will always be encouraging, they’ll tell you to go for it, take a chance, you only live once and all that. Whilst other people, who maybe are more cautious, might tell you, ‘it’s too risky’ and ‘you shouldn’t get your hopes up’. Ultimately, it will of course be your decision, but you will definitely be influenced by them. It’s not just our words that influence people but our actions and our reactions too.

I encourage you to take a look at who you are surrounding yourself with. Take a look at the relationships that occupy the most of your time. These relationships should be balanced, mutual and they should feel good. If you have a toxic relationship that is bringing you down or is always stressing you out, maybe it’s time for a detox. It can be hard to walk away from people, especially if you feel a sense of obligation to them. However, sometimes we need to respect and preserve ourselves by taking a step back.

Equally, it’s important to make space and time in your life to meet new people too. I believe that every person you meet in your entire life will influence you in some way. I’m very fortunate that my job allows me to constantly meet new people all the time. It’s great when you meet a like minded person and you know instantly that you’re gonna be good mates. Pour your efforts into real friendships, give your time, your support and your energy, without expectation of anything in return. Be an encourager and a positive influence.

I am SO grateful for those that influence and inspire me, my family, peers, mentors and friends. They are an awesome squad and I’d be lost without them.