Here's your first exercise ….. grab a pen(cil) and a sheet of paper,
divided into two columns. Head the first column with 'name' and the
second with 'why'.

Make a list of all your friends (relatives don't count), but make sure
you leave a couple of lines between each name.

When you have done that, use the second column to list three reasons why
each person is a part of your life.

First and foremost, your friends should INSPIRE you.
Place a tick next to each reason in your 'why' column that meets
this criterion.

Secondly, your friends should MOTIVATE you.
Place a tick next to each reason in your 'why' column that meets
this criterion.

Thirdly, your friends should be OPTIMISTIC (this shows they have a
positive attitude to life).

Place a tick next to each reason in your 'why' column that meets
this criterion.

Fourthly, your friends should be GENEROUS towards other people (this
shows they have a good heart).

Place a tick next to each reason in your 'why' column that meets
this criterion.

How do your friends stack up at this stage? Has anyone scored a perfect
four? If so, that's fantastic – and just the person you want to
keep in your life.

Is there anyone on your list who hasn't scored at all? Hmmm, if
that's the case, you might want to seriously consider the reasons why
you call them 'friend'.

People do, of course, have negative attributes such as: pessimism,
complaining, being judgemental and ridiculing others. These are NOT the
traits you want your friends to have. In short, these are not the sort
of people with whom you want to be associated.

Check your list – does anyone on it exhibit any of these attributes?
If so, you might want to seriously consider why you want to call them
friends.

The sad fact is that we have all probably made friends with people whose
attitudes and habits are detrimental to our personal goals of health,
wealth and happiness.

Your success is possible, in part, to those in your inner circle. Yes,
they are nice people BUT if the effect they have on your life isn't
the absolute best then you may have to make some difficult choices.

I have always been of the opinion that if a person doesn't enhance my
life in some way, then I don't want them in it. If for some reason,
someone has to be in my life, then I ensure I spend as little time as
possible with them.

When I first decided to surround myself with people who had a great
attitude, I found myself in the situation of having to make difficult
decisions. However, I am so glad I did.

What I found is that when I allowed each negative person to leave, I
left a space that a positive person could fill. The Universe works in
mysterious ways!

The same is true for you. If you want to have a truly empowered life,
one filled with abundance and success, you can't allow others to be
bad influence. The effect these people have is detrimental to your
goals.

So, the question you need to ask yourself is this: do you need to walk
away from anyone on your list?

A difficult, perhaps almost impossible decision to make? Quite possibly
– especially if you have known a person for years.

Remember, your friends influence you – and the influence can be either
positive or negative. So, who do you allow to influence you?

About the author: Barbara Rose is a mentor, coach, teacher and
alternative therapist who specializes in helping people reach their
potential at all levels (spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical).
Please visit www.barbaras-library.com for a complete list of Barbara's
articles and books. To find out more about Barbara please go to
www.barbara-rose.name.