“Show Me Your Friends and I'll Show You Your Future” Dan Pena

It’s my birthday and I just wanted to share the importance of being in the right environment for you to grow, develop, and heal. The environment can be defined as your workplace, friendship groups, communities, etc.

I've been working on a spoken word book for some time and I struggled to find the right people to endorse it.

This spoken word book is to accompany my album which was released in March this year 2022. It will add another dimension to help people heal and process trauma.

Have you ever found that when you've told your story it seems to either fall on deaf ears, or they are completely out of their depth and cannot offer any understanding of what's going on with you?

Those who endorsed my book not only understood what I was trying to do, but they understood and respected the story, the journey, and the struggle of how much it took to get to the place where I am today. 

I cannot begin to tell you how healing that was for me. It just struck me that in my previous environment I was used, ignored, and often just left on the sidelines to cope with the trauma and sometimes physical pain. 

In my new environment, I am seen and I am valued.

Whilst I'm not suggesting that you go and find somewhere else immediately. I am suggesting that you look at the environment that you are currently in.

How about asking yourself some questions?

How do these people treat my story?

How do these people treat me?

Do I come away feeling energised and ready to take on the world? Or do I feel deflated and wishing I had said nothing?

Do these particular people grow with me or keep me in the past version of myself that I have grown out of?

Do these people really want change in their lives? Are they genuinely happy about the change and growth in my life?

Do they ask you what you are up to but don't enquire about how you are?

I'll be honest with you, I have been on a journey with this, and in truth, I am constantly reevaluating the people that are around me and the environment I'm in.

Time is short and whatever it is I am meant to do in this world I need to get on with it. I need to do it with the people that are meant to be around me at this time of the season. 

Dan Pena said: “Show Me Your Friends and I'll Show You Your Future” The people you spend most of your time with will determine who you are.

William S. Burroughs said: When you stop growing you start dying”.

Well, I choose life and I would like to encourage you to do the same. It's not easy by any means to say goodbye to some things. But the price paid is worth it if it's going to get you to where you need to be.

If answering these questions you feel that maybe the environment that you're in is not conducive to where you need to go, you may need to do something brave and start to look at other environments to visit, and see if that's a better fit for you. It will feel uncomfortable at 1st but when you find your tribe it will feel like home.

I mentioned previously I'm still working this out myself but having tasted what it feels like to be around people who truly see you and truly believe in you. The journey is worth it