In our heavily connected culture of social media, it is difficult to delineate between your “friends” and your true friends. Not everyone who happens to follow you or like a post you put out is a true friend. How do you define your true friends?
One way to look at this is by thinking of ever smaller circles. The largest circle is your public persona. This would be the crowd that you are sending messages to but you don’t really know them at all. The next smaller circle are acquaintances. You know people by name and maybe a little about them. The next smaller circle is the friend category. This group of individuals you know more intimately. You know what is going on in their lives, joys, sorrows, accomplishments, and so on. They know you more deeply as well. But they still don’t know the full you. That is reserved for the smallest circle – the inner circle. This may be comprised of only a few individuals. You know these people very deeply. They know you the same. You have shared life on a different level with them, and they with you.
Why is this important? We all have influence into each other’s lives. The closer someone is in your circle, the more influence they have in your life. Who are you talking to the most? Who are you allowing to shape your thoughts and behaviors? Are you allowing those in the outer circle to have more influence than those in your inner circle?
Be judicious in who you allow into your inner circle. They will have the greatest influence over your life. If you want to live with excellence, growth, and joy, get people in your inner circle who will move you into that life.