Staying Positively Alive Part 2 – Loose the Anchors

"There are two types of people – anchors and motors. You want to lose the anchors and get with the motors because motors are going somewhere and they're having more fun. The anchors will just drag you down." - WYLAND

As embarrassing as it is for me to admit this, I'd have to tell you that I was bullied – and more embarrassingly, by a female. The attack wasn't at all physical, but emotional and psychological. I could have done something to put an end to it sooner, but I was afraid of losing not really the friendship, but the dependency towards such a person.

Yes, she might have had more experience in life than I did that time, and I may have picked up a thing or two from her, but the price I had to pay may not have been all worth it. They were really the worst years of my life. My confidence was down, I was loosing my integrity, and there was even a time when my physical health and appearance was in its worst state ever.

It was only after I decided that I've had enough and cut any hold she had on me, did things begin to look up. I was slowly gaining back my confidence, I began rebuilding my integrity, and physically... Well you can evaluate on my author's page (LOL!).

It felt so liberating to have finally made a conscious decision to cut loose of that anchor!

Anchors are generally people who affect you negatively and bring you down... Ever knew people who, by just walking in the same room you are in, makes the very air you're breathing toxic? Or by simply calling you over the telephone, can bring tension and stress to your entire day? They're your anchors.

Although anchors are generally characterized as people who constantly complain, gossip, blame others for their circumstances and have a habit of focusing on the negative, they can also be people who seem successful, but whose success comes at the expense of others. They can also be people who step up by stepping on you, or people who just can't bear to see you succeed. They can be people who discourage you from pursuing your dreams, or people who constantly want to drag you down to their level. My advice is to avoid them by all means necessary, or if that's impossible, spend less time with them.

Instead, why not spend more time with people who sincerely believe in your capabilities? Or people who are visionaries, idealists and thinkers? Why not spend more time with people who can reinforce your spirituality, rather than people who drag you down into sin?

Matthew 10:16 also reminds us to be vigilant in the company of men, when the verse says, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

John Assaraf, author of The Street Kid's Guide to Having It All, is a successful entrepreneur who was caught in the world of drugs and gangs as a street kid. However, his life was transformed when he landed a job working in the gym of a Jewish community center, where he received access to the men's health club. Every night after work, you'd find him in the steamy hot room listening to tales of success and failure of successful businessmen, and on the note of choosing your company well, this was quoted from him: “I just do not hang around anybody that I don't want to be with. Period. For me, that's been a blessing, and I can stay positive. I hang around people who are happy, who are growing, who want to learn, who don't mind saying sorry or thank you... and [are] having a fun time.”

According to self-made millionaire Jim Rohn, we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. So it's really our decision if we want to be soaring high with the eagles or sinking deep with the anchors.

God bless!

You can read Staying Positively Alive Part 1 - Taking Responsibility here

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