It has been said that, sometimes in life, what we become, either for good or for bad, may be traced to the sort of friends we kept. A school of thought believes, and insists that the kind of friends you keep when you reach a certain age in life, will determine how far you will go in your pursuit to become an achiever. And their conviction is hinged on the fact that, young people are greatly affected by the influences around them, especially when they are in their early twenties and getting ready to take on the world. This is the age when the pieces of the picture that represents your future starts to fall into place bit by bit. This is when you begin to have an idea how things might pan out for you within the next couple of years. You know exactly what you need to do to get to the promised land and get hold of your dream prize. But you also know its not going to be easy getting there. And you are prepared for the challenges, ready to take on the world and everything it throws at you in your quest to make a success of your life. You have worked hard, you have studied hard, you have trained hard. You are ready for absolutely anything. But the big mistake some of us make is that, sometimes, our biggest obstacles in life are not the ones that are outside there waiting for us, rather, they are actually the ones thrown at us everyday by the people we love and trust the most -our friends!
That’s right, our closest and most trusted friends can sometimes become our biggest threat to success and we may not even realise it. Ask the elders, they will tell you that not all friends can be classified as true friends. Some friends will make positive impact in your life while some others will make not too positive impact. Indeed, some friends can actually lead you on to the wrong path and then send you and dreams shattering into a thousand pieces. So, I ask, what type of friends do you have? Here are the four types of friends you shouldn’t keep if you desire to see all your plans and ambitions fall into place.
*NFA (No Future Ambition): This type of friend is everywhere. He is the friend you see knocking on your door first thing in the morning, and the last you’ll probably see before you go to bed in the night. This is because he is always up and about, moving from one friend’s home to the other. He likes to talk a lot. Most times, he’s not making much sense. While others have a clear idea of what they want to do, what they want to become and have devised ways to go about achieving their set goals, Mr. NFA, on the contrary, wants to become everything. He wants to be an actor, he wants to be a lawyer, he wants to be a footballer, he wants to be a politician, yet he has not come up with concrete plans on how he can become any of these. In fact, you’ll be surprised to know he has absolutely no idea how to go about it, though you won’t know unless you probe him hard enough. But he will tell you he has it all mapped out and that soon, things will jell for him. He knows names. He knows people. He tells you not to worry he can also help you swing a few things your way. And you believe him. So, you begin to flow with him and believing things would happen soon. Sorry, you may have to wait for a long time….
*Lazy and Uninspiring: We all know this one. He is always lagging behind. He doesn’t bring ideas to the table, neither is he proactive when others bring ideas to the table. When you draw up proposals and tell him he needs to accompany you to go talk to some company executives, he tells you the distance is too far and wonders why you can’t get Uber rather than taking commercial bus. He is lucky to have a family that supports him, so he fails to see any reason why he should begin his own hustle. If he comes over to visit you and finds food in the house, he will empty the dish or the pot without bothering to know if its okay by you for him to do so. He is the last person to motivate you or inspire, if you find yourself needing some motivation. If anything, he will give you a thousand and one reasons why you should give up on yourself and the country because, according to him, ‘nothing can work in this country, I have tried harder than you and I know nothing works anymore, so forget it’. Really? In this same country where guys are making big breaks every now and then? You don’t need this type of friend around you, what you need is someone that challenges you by his drive and tenacity to succeed.
*Mr. Reckless: This one is so, so dangerous. He does not think beyond today. If he has a few cash in his account, he will finish it all today. If he knows you have some money with you, he will look for all manner of ways to ensure you both finish up the money in no time. He will remind you of the happening joints in town and that club that you both said you would go hang out someday. For him, nothing matters more than booze and women. As far as he’s concerned, money is meant to be spent, not be saved. His thinking is that once he’s squandered his own money, his friends must keep his reckless nature going by spending their own money in like manner as well. With a friend like that, chances of you possibly saving chunks of money can be extremely remote.
*The Impediment Friend: Run away from this one. He is the worst of the lot. He never finds or sees anything good in what friends around him are doing. He is forever criticizing everyone but himself. Once you come up with a project idea, he comes up with a dozen and one reasons why it will never work. He never encourages his friends, he never supports their cause, but he wants to remain the center of attraction all the time. Behind your back, he pulls you down, the minute you turn to face him, he’s laughing with you. He hates it deep inside him when his friends are elevated or celebrated, he would rather it’s him getting celebrated, not you. If he finds there are prospects of opportunities that will suit you and not him, he would rather keep it away from you so you don’t get ahead of him in life. I repeat, keep away from this one, he is the most dangerous of the lot!
– AUTHORED BY WALE LAWAL
