Watch Who/What Influences You!

"Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard..." - Ecclesiastes 9:17

A few days ago, I was working at an event and I had the chance to work with two great employees who I love so much. We got to chatting about society and morals/values in relationships. One of the employees is married and the other is not. However, the employee who is not married has heavily stated how much she admires the advice that the married woman gives in order to help her maneuver better in her relationship. We all believe and are hoping that this single employee gets proposed to soon. The advice of the married woman has been sound, respectful, Godly, and graceful. She carries herself in a way that is very admirable. I loved the married woman's thought process, the way she spoke, how she carried herself, and how she is protective of the relationships she has with the people she loves. She inspired me.

As I sat back in my work chair, while the employees were dealing with customers, I started to scroll through Instagram, I can't help but notice the amount of unsolicited advice that circulates throughout my explore page. If it's not one thing about relationships, it is another about God. If it is not one thing about money management, it's another about friendships and how your circle should be. If it's not one thing about personal growth, it's another about watching the company you keep.

I can't help but wonder, do we as a society ever influence each other to really get off of social media and have time with ourselves?! I also realized that everything that the woman told me at my job was the complete opposite of what I seen on social media. Then an instant thought clicked: Watch what you hear, read, and feed into your soul and heart! The influence is major.

Influence can come from the friends we hang out with, the parents that we admire, to the social media post that are good and bad that are constantly bombarded on our feed. I see so many post that constantly feeds one's ego and others that label people who have done wrong to us, but then people run with this mindset and are influenced to think like this forever. Having the right people in your corner is essential to living a healthy growing life. None of us are perfect individuals and we never will be. And the expectations to have people in our loving spaces to be perfect is always going to result in disappointment. If a person is trying, have grace with them and pray for them. And though you can always take a step back to protect yourself and your mental health, this is when forgiveness and consistent prayer comes into play and is key in society.

Our society is always developing and growing but the essential of morals and values will always be the same. That's why having key players with pure wisdom (for me, Godly wisdom) is important for growth, accountability, and forgiveness in order for us to be a better community to each other. So many of us can say that we learn a great thing or two from a grand parent, aunt/uncle, or family friend that has lived life and learned from their mistakes. You look at their life and realized that they are blessed and you wonder how they got to where they are. The old saying is always true, "There is nothing new that happens under the sun." And as we get older, we realize how true this saying is and how we will be teaching it to our own grandchildren one day (God willing). But all of this comes when we understand that having boundaries and standards are important, but carrying an ego that's all about self is not. This is why I believe your influences matter and we as a society have to be careful of what we are receiving from outsiders and social media.

As a human being, with your own experiences, make the best choice for you. Just remember, social media is a snippet of someone's life and not their fully reality. Social media post that give unsolicited advice about any topic of life should be picked through with great discernment. And lastly, the elders that show you love and speak life into you, please take heed and listen to them. Their influence could be one of the greatest things that could help change your life. Just make sure, you are listening to the ones who have proper wisdom, living a solid blessed life, not people who are trying to live foolish because they can't address issues in their heart.

UNTIL NEXT TIME!

Chevy <3