Drop the Baggage

Making sure you surround yourself with positivity is one of the many great qualities of leaders. Surrounding yourself with positivity isn't cutting out every single person that will bring negativity to your life, everyone goes through rough times and we, as their friends, should be there to support them as they have been there to support us. In turn, with having positive people surround us, it’s important to surround yourself in a good environment, one that is clean, organized, and uncluttered.

There are times when certain people do nothing but try to bring you down. People can try to bring you down by being blunt about it; deliberately hurting you and trying to sabotage your every move or it can be in a subtle way. We tend not to realize this subtle way of negativity, because we want, as a friend, to be there for that person in times of need; but there’s a limit to how needy a person can be and how much we can help that person before we can’t physically or emotionally do any more. At this time, it is they who can only help themselves.

As leaders we are naturally moved to help everyone in need, but there comes a time when we need to make the decision to let a person learn for themselves. We as leaders aren't supposed to directly tell people what to do in times of crisis, but instead, influence and guide them to what is right for them. Telling someone that you can no longer help them is the hardest thing to do, especially when they are a good friend, but it can ultimately only help them do better for themselves. Helping someone in need should be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, not a burden.

One last thing people don’t think has an influence on them is the environment they surround themselves with. This environment can be a cluttered house, dirty car, or even an un-organized work space. Growing up my Mother kept everything because it had some sentimental value to it, from baby clothes to old pots and pans; My Mother would also go on huge cleaning sprees where she would get so frustrated at the fact that there were too many things in the house.You can keep some sentimental things, but don’t keep all and just organize, organize, and organize! Organization is part of a happy lifestyle!

Amber Fogarty always says ‘in order to lead others you need to make sure you are fully taken care of yourself,’ and I believe that includes your surroundings, both friends and environment. Take the time to quietly reflect on your life and whether or not you should do some personal spring cleaning. You’ll be amazed at how refreshed you feel when you get rid of extra baggage.