Who’s cheering you on?
When a child starts learning to walk, everyone cheers them on. Whether it’s one step or two, there are sounds of clapping and words of praise from everyone watching. Even when they fall on their buttocks, they still receive words of encouragement and smiles for trying.
As we get older, those cheers may start to fade or become more infrequent. Graduations, birthdays, promotions, and major milestones may be the only celebrations that some people experience.
Look around at your social circles and decide:
who is supporting you in all that you want to achieve and
who is holding you back from excelling.
No matter what your goals are your social circles should lift you up, encourage you and help you to succeed at achieving your personal goals.
You can start with looking at those who love you; however, even though your loved ones might be supportive, they may unintentionally discourage us because they don't share our interests, understand our ambitions, or believe in the possibilities we see for ourselves.
Let’s look a little deeper.
Some of my current health and happiness activities that are supported by strong social circles include:
Relaxation: Meditation
Creativity: Writing, Storytelling
Cardio: Walking, Running, Unicycling
Strength Training: Core, Compound Exercises
Learning: Dance, Social Media Content
Many of the above activities can be done in isolation; however, they become more fun and energizing when others actively support and/or participate in the activity.
Our cheering crowd does even need to participate in every activity with us. Sometimes, simply having someone who checks in, celebrates our progress, or shows genuine interest is enough to keep us motivated.
Some examples of social circles that provide me with the encouragement to keep me going are:
Meditation with someone else or using a live app
Participating in writing and storytelling clubs/classes
Strava app to share and receive kudos for completing cardio activities
Daily strength training family group chat
Dance classes
Substack publishing, reading, commenting, and connections
Finding positive social circles helps to keep me moving, to keep learning, to keep going, even when I fall on my butt.
In addition to achieving goals, positive social circles can help people overcome life challenges.
Some examples of these challenges are:
When Financial Stability Feels Out of Reach
Finding Your Way Through Grief and Loss
When Your Career Takes an Unexpected Turn
Navigating Changes in Health, Body, and Aging
When Relationships End and Life Changes
Letting Go of Relationships That No Longer Serve You
Learning to Believe in Yourself Again
When Life Doesn’t Go According to Plan
Finding New Meaning in Life’s Turning Points
When the Weight of Everyday Life Becomes Too Much
When you find like-minded people who want to address a similar goal or challenge, they will often cheer you on as well.
Find or create your social circles to help cheer you on.
This way, the next time you fall on your butt, you will have someone there to encourage you and to provide you with the smiles you need to continue.