Why You Need People in Your Life Who Push You to Be Your Best

UPDATED: October 26, 2017
PUBLISHED: July 28, 2017

Your friends and family make up the people that surround you. While we can’t pick our family, we can pick our friends—friends we want to be more like, friends whose power and positivity can help amplify our own.

An aspirational friend is someone who influences and enhances my decisions to better my life. This is a healthy friend who provides energy and inspiration. I always admire how they treat other people, their integrity, drive, and how they prioritize their life. Do you have friends like this? If you think about your friends now, you probably have some you lean on, and some that lean on you. Are the feelings mutual or are there some one-sided friendships? It’s important to have balance in your friendships and feel like you’re learning from each other.

Related: 7 Signs It’s Time to Let Go of a Friend

Keep in mind that money should be no factor. Please don’t find someone aspirational because they have more money than you do. Instead look for people that will help keep you on track and want what’s best for you. Aspirational friends should see your potential and lift you up, not make you competitive. People are much more than their bank accounts and in order to live a well-rounded life you need to focus on character qualities first and keep finances out of it.

Sometimes we don’t realize that our friends are more convenience friends than true friendships, but we have stop to think in order to make adjustments for the future. Do you only hang out with certain friends in specific situations, or cringe when you have to spend time with them? Those are convenience friends who aren’t expanding your experience.

Changing our friends can be difficult but remember you’re trying to better your life and only friends with more to give can lift you up and help you grow.

Chalene Johnson is a New York Times best-selling author, motivational speaker and founder of the SmartLife movement. As the host and creator of many fitness informercials and a regular guest on QVC, Johnson has sold more than 10 million DVDs and currently holds “The Guinness Book of World Records” for the most fitness videos. The Huffington Post recognized Johnson as one of the Top 50 Female Entrepreneurs to watch in 2017. Johnson and her husband and business partner Bret have been married for more than 20 years.