Do you think about the company you keep? Not just your friends and co-workers, but the company of the thoughts within your mind that affect your life? On today’s “The Way” I talked about all the ways that the company you keep impacts how you feel about yourself, your mood, you outlook and the path you want to create for your future. I explained the meaning of “satsang,” which in Indian philosophy is “the company of the highest truth.” If you surround yourself with positive energy, and find it within yourself, your satsang will fulfill and guide you toward a happier, heartfelt life.
When you spend time with positive, upbeat people, or in affirmative situations and places, you become optimistic and confident. When you keep company with people who are seeing life through a negative lens, you too will begin to take on that view. Most of us have a choice about whom we are going to be with. Our time here on this planet is limited, and there’s no sense in missing out on the best circumstances we can create. When the people around us bring us down, or a job environment brings depression and/or frustration, we need to do what we can to change it. We should also look within and see if some of the negative forces that seem to be coming from outside of us are really just a mirror, reflecting something that needs further exploration, as a journey inward.
When we get involved in a group of people, whether it be related to a belief practice or a common interest, we can achieve wonderful bonds, and positive energy. Though the word “cult” can have negative associations, keep in mind that one of it’s definitions is “a gathering of like-minded people” In the same vein as the idea “the company you keep will show you what you’ll become,” we need to be conscious of who we deem to be “of like mind” to ourselves – our own little cult per se – that can be unhealthy or very healthy depending on where we want to go.
“Cult” is a word that can be misunderstood and/or misused, when in fact any assembling of like-minded people can be considered a cult. Though cults that overtake the power of the individual exist, there are also very positive, grounded, and beneficial ways to come together, as groups of people, to uplift and support each other through life’s challenges.
If you missed the show, you can tune into the archives and learn more about the company you keep. I took some great calls and answered very interesting tweets. This is a great topic that offers you a chance to take control over your life. No more blaming others for your mood or situation. Energize yourself!
Be sure to listen to next week’s “The Way” when I’ll be interviewing SQ Foundation’s Ethiopian Program Director, Assegid Negash. We’ll talk about my experience of first encountering extreme poverty in India, and his shock at seeing the wealth of western countries. It will be a fascinating show!
– Derek O’Neill