It's very important to surround yourself with like minded individuals. That way when great things happen for you they are able to share in your joy. When things aren't going so well they are there to support you and help you get to your next level. I think one of the best lessons I learned from my mother is; in her words "always follow your gut". You may refer to it as your intuition. When you listen to that "voice" or that feeling in your gut, that's your connection to God and it doesn't steer you wrong. But, we have a huge tendency to ignore that and then we say "I should have listened to my intuition." It works on people very well. When you meet someone you immediately get a feel for their spirit and whether or not they are meant to be in your circle. You can feel their genuineness and you know whether or not you want to include them into your list of friends. Sometimes you give people "the benefit of the doubt" because your spirit tells you they aren't really for you but you don't want to listen. And I'm sure 9 out 10 of you reading this knows you should have left them right where they were. So I came up with a list of 10 things to check for before knowing if you should let someone in your circle:

1. Is the person genuinely nice?

2. Do they compliment you?

3. Are they happy for you when you accomplish your goals?

4. Do they make you want to be a better person?

5. Do they encourage you?

6. Do they make you smile?

7. Do other people like being around them?

8. Do they share their dreams with you?

9. Are they open and honest?

10. Are they trying to get to their next level?

If you can answer yes to these questions then you surely have a person you can trust and believe in and hopefully someone you will develop a long lasting friendship with. I've often met people and "loved" them immediately. Their spirit just radiated love. I absolutely adore when that happens and those people end up making the most difference in my life. Always know this as well. Some people are here only for a season. You may meet the person that gets you to your next level but your next level may very well be their last level. Don't count it as a loss. Count it as God using people to get you where you need to be. Not everyone can follow you through every level of your success. Sometimes it's time to say "bye, bye". In the words of Joel Osteen sometimes you have to leave your safe zone and enter the faith zone." And sometimes that means leaving old friends behind.