I often tell people, your circle of friends/influence determines your growth rate, it is something I have witnessed and learnt over the years. For everyone who desires greatness or success, you must understand the value of collective effort. Unlike most people, I have a very small circle of friends but I'm connected to a lot of people. The thing about me is that I tend to classify relationships with people, like adding a name tag to categorise the kind of relationship I'm having with a specific person and depending on how i categories my relationship with a person determines how I define our boundaries.
This means that I don't over complicate my relationship with people, let say for instance, while working on a business related idea and I need someone to do something for me, somehow I was able to get in touch with a new person to get that thing done for me. As long as whatever that joins us together at that moment last, we will definitely keep in touch but the moment we are done working on that stuff, I moved forward to another objective and I might also meet someone new but I will definitely repeat the same pattern.
It is not that I let go of them because I don't need them anymore, we just kind of just grew apart since there is nothing that requires us to be together. The way people tends to engage in consistent conversation with people in order to keep their relationship with others active tends to freak me out, I can't do it, it suddenly feels like I'm being a nuisance, so I just stay where I'm and there is something that requires us to talk again, I will never hesitate to get in touch with the person because it is not like we separated on a bad terms and if the person decides to reach out, I will definitely respond or probably they are in need of something, I will never hesitate to be of help.
So when people talk about things like cutting some people off to make room for new people in the coming year, I usually feel confused because I don't have people to cut off or should I say I don't ever need to cut anyone off because whoever is in my life presently is there to serve a purpose. There is something that requires us to be together and the moment whatever the thing is ends, it suddenly feels like there is nothing else to talk about. I don't engage in petty conversations despite having a high sense of humour.
As a result of this, I don't ever have to wonder about who to cut off because it is not necessary. It is my objectives and path that determines who I'm with, I don't drag relationship, I believe in special encounters and exchange of value between people. That is why I often say, making friends has never been an issue for me but keeping them is another thing entirely. I have been accused of lacking interpersonal communication skills but that is not true, the way I define my relationship with people, I try as much as possible to set necessary boundaries just to protect both parties interest.
This write-up was inspired by weekly featured content titled New year, new people in hive learners community.
Cover image - 𝖣𝖾𝗌𝗂𝗀𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗎𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗏𝖺
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