Daily Inspiration: “Spend more time with people who are always moving forward, not back!”

“Spend more time with people who are always moving forward, not back!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

Attitude matters.

Not just your own, but that of those you surround yourself with. Individuals of like mind, similar outlook, parallel passions, and inclusive interests.

Why would you want to spend time with someone who does nothing but bring you down – unless they show you a willingness to change their outlook through action? That’s why I always suggest you hang out with other optimists! People who have a belief that we have an opportunity to make the future what we want it to be – rather than the potentially negative future that might come about.

How do you do that? Stop spending time with people who possess these human traits:

• a relentlessly negative attitude
• continual, relentless pessimism
• pervasive procrastination
• a small thinking mind
• the dominance of indecision
• close minded opinions
• an inability to learn
• a desire to not learn new things!
• blind acceptance of false facts
• distracted easily
• a reliance on lifelong lessons that no longer apply
• a lack of focus
• distinctly lacking in curiosity
• a narrow focus
• rapid flashes of inarticulate anger
• an inability to accept change
• relying on routines and actions that worked in the past
• an inability to collaborate
• lazy and unmotivated
• intolerant or unnecessarily strong opinions
• bullying and intimidation actions
• a persecution complex
• an unquestioning mind
• a longing for the past
• forever relying on old glories and achievements
• a prevalence of denial
• conspiracy-skewed thinking
• a descent into rabbit holes
• bigots and racists (d’uh!)

The list could go on… and if you think about it, you aren’t left with a lot of options!

But a lot of how your future will unfold has to do with the company you keep.

Take an inventory of who inspires your creativity, charges up your outlook, and motivates you for the future. Those who see the future as an opportunity, not a threat, and who are prepared to take action to be a part of it. Individuals who change their future, before the future changes them. Those who are prepared to invest in knowledge, new ideas and different opinions in order to align to realities.

Find them, hang with them, and nurture the relationship.

You’ll thank yourself for it. So will they!