The Company You Keep...

Show me your friends, and I'll show you your future.

Photo by Myznik Egor on Unsplash

When I was a child, the only time I’d really have to talk to my father was while he drove me to school in the morning. During the drive, we’d talk about my academic goals, my classes for the day, my favorite teacher, and so on. It may sound depressing that we’d only ever talk about school, but truthfully there wasn’t much else to discuss. At least not with my south-Asian immigrant father.

I enjoyed the talks, but when the conversation approached the topic of friends, I’d usually tune him out. He’d tell me that my friends should all be better than me in some fashion. Whether intellectually, athletically, or creatively. As a child, I dismissed his guidance, thinking that I was my own person anyway, so why should it matter who my friends are? I’m glad I realized that my father was right.

The Lesson

The people you choose to surround yourself with have a profound impact on your life and development as a person. If you’re a kid, you can get away with being friends with the class clown or whoever you have the most fun with during recess. When you’re in college, even high school, the people you are friends with are the clearest indicators of who you will most likely become.

This is not to say that you will become a carbon copy of your friends or that you will inherit all of their worst characteristics. Just keep in mind that your friends should be people you look up to in some areas, but never look down on. Make sure that they have something to offer you and that you have something to offer them.

Make each other better.

Personal Experience

My friends and I were introduced through a common knack for creating stuff. I remember I wanted to be a rapper (I don’t want to talk about it), and I met my friends because they also wanted to make music (beats, songs, etc.). From there, our group expanded to include more like-minded creatives, including writers, filmmakers, a couple of athletes, and even medical students. Since then, I’ve sort of reinvented myself. No longer wanting to be a rapper, I study philosophy at St. John’s University and am working towards becoming a writer.

Yet, my friends continue to motivate and compete with me every day.

We’re still teenagers so we say and do a lot of stupid things, but I feel like the underlying characteristic of our group has always been ambition. It is fun to compete with each other and hearing about how much my friend has written on any given day inspires to me to write, as well. We trust each other to give honest and constructive feedback on any of our respective projects.

When I decided I wanted to be a freelance writer and start my own blog they were the first people I told. I was met with nothing but optimism and encouragement. Every single one of us has aspirations, and we are not scared of sharing or fulfilling them. Instead, we find ways to help each other realize our potential and utilize our individual skills.

I’ve taught my friends about personal finance and have tried convincing them to be more mindful about their money (usually a fruitless endeavor) and they’ve taught me about trusting my creative instincts. They’ve taught me that regardless of what field I end up in, I must have discipline and be devoted to my craft in order to be successful.

For that, I will be forever grateful.

Here are some links if you’d like to support my friends :)

My friend, frappa, the musical genius has very recently begun to upload music online. He has a narrative album that is currently in production but will be released later this year. He only has one song currently released and it’s not bad, honestly. Give it a listen.

If you’re someone who enjoys filmed content, here is my friend Jesiah's film channel on YouTube. He’s uploaded many short films and his channel serves as a digital portfolio for all of his films and film-related projects. Here is his latest upload:

Thanks for reading!