Every Teenager Needs To Read This! Part 1

The people you're hanging out with are not your friends. I want you to ask yourself this question, are they raising you up or pushing you down? Are they helping you grow or holding you back?

You have something special inside of you. But I feel like the people you hang around, they have their own agendas. And I've had people like this in my life before. People who wanted to get close to me. Use me to get what they wanted and then once they got it, they left. 

So you can't call everybody your friend. The word friend comes from the European word "FREUND" meaning "TO LOVE". These people you call the friend they don't love you. They don't belong in your squad. A squad is a team of people who you go to war with. They fight with you and you fight with them. You all fight together. 

A true friend isn't somebody who makes your problem disappear but they are the ones who won't disappear when you face problems. 

Fake friends are like shadows. They're around you during the brightest times but they disappear during the darkest times. So it is better to walk alone at night than with a fake friend in the light. Better an enemy attack you then a fake friend hug you.

I know sometimes it's fun hanging out with them. You laugh, you joke but that doesn't mean much. It's easy to be friends when things are going well. But what about when things ain't going well?

OPRAH said "Everybody wants to ride with you in the limo but what about when that limo breaks down and it's cold. Who's gonna be with you on the side of the road? Who's gonna be there to carry your bags with you as you gotta walk home?"

I don't wanna preach but your life is dependent on two things: the people you hang out with and the books you read. Do not stunt your growth by hanging out with the wrong crowd.

You have a gift inside of you. You got to answer that call because its never gonna ring forever. The more time you spend with these people, the less time you're gonna have to bring that gift out. 

I know you may say it doesn't matter, they don't affect me. And to that, I want to ask you this: what's the easiest way to catch a cold? You hand out with somebody with a cold, right?

Well, what's the easiest way to catch a negative mindset? You hang out with somebody with a negative mindset.

The energy you hang around, it matters. You can't hang around energy vampires.

They say people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. I believe these so-called friends you have, their season has passed. And it's your season now, where you flourish, grow and you become exactly who you were always meant to be.