Saturday, April 24, 2010

Peer Pressure

Parents of teenagers know that who their kids hang out with have an influence on them. Running with the wrong crowd can get you into trouble. While adolescents are especially vulnerable to peer pressure, we older people are not immune to it. Even without realizing it, we adopt the habits, language and attitudes of those who surround us.

Let's not insulate ourselves. Our circle of friends and acquaintances should enrich us and stretch us. To do that, you have to have some diversity. As we grow older, it's easy to become set in our ways. Knowing people who have different backgrounds, life experiences and opinions from ourselves will challenge us and help us grow.

While we don't get to choose our family, coworkers and neighbors, we can be aware of their influence. Sometimes it is appropriate and perfectly okay to limit the amount of time we spend with people who impact us negatively. With our friends, we have more freedom of choice. We can surround ourselves with people who will support us and cheer us on as we journey forward.

Susan

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