How to be intentional about what influences you

At a conference I attended recently, one of the speakers spoke about how we need to be aware of what influences us. Especially in a world where "Influencers" are a huge deal, we have to know who those influencers in our lives are. Do the Influences in your life cause you to do good, feel great about yourself, take on new challenges and be a better you? If you are not quite sure, it's time for reassessment and change. To get to where you want to be in life, it is key to have the right influences in your life.
 
In this blog post, we will explore the definition of influence and ways to be intentional about what influences you.
 
What does influence mean?

• to affect or change how someone or something develops, behaves, or thinks (Source: Cambridge Dictionary)
• the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others (Source: Dictionary.com)
  
• the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.

 
How do others or external factors influence us?

• Change how we see life or our progress
• Affect the decisions we make
• Set the direction of our lives

 
How to be intentional about what Influences you
 
Know the people and things that influence you
There are so many sources of input into our lives these days. From the steady stream of information on social media, the internet, Television and other people, we get many different data points that influence us. Being aware of those things and people that influence you is the first step to having a healthy relationship with external influences.
 
Questions to consider

• Who has influenced your life so far?
• Are you influenced by what you see on social media?

 
Acknowledge how things influence you
Knowing how you get influenced is essential. You might be influenced by things you grew up with, new things you often see, what people around you say or do. The fact is, external influences have a strong effect on what we think, how we act and grow. Once you know what influences you and how it affects your life, you can take charge.
 
Questions to consider

• Are the people around you influencing the way you look at your life?
• Have you noticed any change in the way you behaved after interacting with certain people?

 
Choose what influences you
Being intentional about what you allow to influence you is crucial. To live a successful like, you will need to remove negative influences and find new positive ones actively. You have the opportunity to ensure that things that influence you help get you to the future that you want.
 
Questions to consider

• How are you going to remove negative influences from your life?
• How are you going to choose positive influences?

 
Final Thoughts

• To build the life you want, you have to be intentional about what influences you.
• You have the responsibility to guard your heart and mind.
• Let positivity fill your life.

 
Call to Action

• What influences are you going to get rid of?
• What new influences are you adding to your life?

 
Great Resources

• Identifying Your Influencers: Who Influences You? Who Do You Influence?
• The Power of Influence
• Who Influences You And How Did You Get Here?
• What influences your decisions?
• Who Influences You the Most ? 3 Reasons to Change the #1 Most Influential Person in Your Life
• Keeping Good Company: Why You Should Surround Yourself With Good People