Who Do You Listen To?

 I have heard many success experts and psychiatrists tell people that the best thing to do when going through change or healing is to ensure that you surround yourself with loving and supportive people. Otherwise your change efforts or healing may be sabotaged. For more on this, please see my article called Loving Conspiracy 3/28/12.

My own growth and healing process has taken so long precisely because I did not have the support. The people who I thought I could count only ridiculed me and only made my change efforts more challenging. Fortunately I have found a support group since then and now my change and healing has been rapid.

Below is what Dr. Doreen Virtue, one of my favorite authors has to say about ensuring that you surround yourself with encouraging, loving and positive people.

"In fact, let me encourage you right now to use caution when choosing your companions-whether they be lovers, friends, co-workers, or family members. The people you associate with on a regular basis can have a tremendous positive or negative influence on you. Being arround negative people who are always echoing 'What's the use?' or 'Dream on; we'll never have a good life like those people,' or 'You're always going to be a loser,' has a hypnotic effect. Their negative affirmations prevent your unconscious from believing that you have the right and strenght to succeed.

If you must spend time with negative people - for example family members whom you simply can't avoid at times- keep these interactions to a minimum. Arm yourself with postive affirmations, and slip into the rest room often to review them and renew your positive spirit. If you had to walk into a hospital ward filled with people who had contagious diseases, you'd wear a protective mask and gown, right? It's the same situation here-only with negative thinking.

Your inner self will always guide you in the right direction telling you what to do when faced with  monumental decisions such as divorcing a spouse, or 'divorcing' a negative friend or family member. Spend as much time as you can with your inner voice and vision. If you feel confused or scared, be patient with yourself. The inner voice is clear, but it sometimes speaks quietly, and it's easily drowned out by noise of negative thinking and fear."