You know that old quote that goes something along the lines of you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with? Clearly I do not quite know it as I did not directly quote it, and while I could look it up, I think we all get it right? It means that you take on values, personality traits, goals, and even the level of success of the people that you spend the most time with. The lesson in this is that if you would like to be a well-rounded person with a prosperous future you should be spending time with people that are well rounded and on the path to a prosperous life. This ensures that both of you will be successful and have a wonderful life and will probably have great skin and hair too!

I think that there is certainly some truth to this theory as it is easier to relate to people that have a similar take on what is important in life, but I would also argue that it is important to have diversity in your friend group. When you all are saying and doing and wanting the same things, are you not all blindly following the same star?

I borrow so many things from my friends. I see these amazing, fantastic qualities that they have, the things that make them stand out from the crowd, the traits that make them special, and I try to emulate them.

I have a friend that has more confidence than one person probably deserves. She is confident in her interactions with people, with herself, she is confident about her life overall. Truthfully, I am a pretty confident person myself, but one thing that I really admire about her is that she does not back off her confidence when she is communicating with people. I tend to be quiet around new people and can fade into the background in a big group. Observing and admiring this friend’s confidence has shown me where I can be more confident in my own life. Watching her thrive in situations that I struggle with has equipped me with better tools to use. Her way of unapologetically living has made me bolder and braver.

I have another friend that is extremely observant and excellent at giving compliments based on those observations. She will notice if you have gotten a haircut or if you have changed up your style, she will remember to ask about that class you started taking or if your ill family member is getting better. It’s those details that make people feel special and seen, and honestly, that kind of thing gives people a little glow for the rest of the day. It’s a beautiful trait of hers, and one that I have really been trying to borrow. It makes me listen more closely to people, to say compliments out loud instead of just thinking them, to go out of my way just a little bit to make someone else smile.

Saying yes to things is another skill that I have borrowed from a very open and easy-going friend. She is down for anything - from a low key hang in a living room to a vigorous hike to a cross country flight just to hang out. She is a fun person with a fun life because she says yes to things so easily. As a person who is much more inclined to say NO before a yes is even considered, I am in awe of this quality of hers. I am still learning from her, (still trying to find that “yes” gene of mine that is very deeply buried inside of me) but watching her say yes to things and only become more well-traveled, well rounded, and happier because of this makes it a little easier.

There are so many other people that have inspired me to take from - I’ve borrowed courage, humility, humor, and strength from spending time with my friends. I’ve borrowed organizational skills, styling tips, knowledge, and a sense of my own agency by observing my friends. The beauty of this is that I have made myself up of so many different but magnificent people. We all are on separate paths in our ideas of what a successful and fulfilling life looks like, but those paths intersect where it matters. If we can all try to borrow the best pieces of each other we will all become better people. Not the same people, better people!! Borrow more from your friends and become the best version of your dang self!

This is just a small sampling of the incredible people that I have borrowed / am borrowing from and I have to say it feels good to be surrounded by lovable weirdos each different in their own way. I would highly recommend, 10 out of 10 would do it all over again !!!!!!