What Are Positive Influences

Positive influences can be hard to find, especially when you’re trying to figure out who you are and where you fit in this world. Because peer power is so important, it’s important to find people who’ll help you grow and not hold you back.

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A Positive Influence Is Someone or Something That Affects Another Person in a Positive Way

Positive influences are people, things, or circumstances that affect another person in a positive way.

We all have people in our lives who inspire us, support us, and help us achieve our goals. These are positive influences. They can be:

Family members who care about you and respect your choices.
Friends who accept you for who you are.
Teachers, and other adults who care enough about you to help you succeed.
A Coach who shares his or her wisdom and experience.
Parents who share their love.
Role models such as public figures, actors, athletes, and successful business people you look up to.
Other people who follow in your footsteps or have similar goals for themselves.
A colleague who takes time to help you with your professional problems.
A leader who acts in the interests of society, and not for greed.
An influential person who exercises their influence for the benefit of others.
Anyone who encourages your self-belief.

They may also include inspirational quotes from famous people or even characters from books and movies that motivate you to do your best.

How does someone make you feel?

Close your eyes and imagine the last time you met someone who made you feel positive. How did that make you feel?

Did he or she understand something about you that other people didn’t know?
Did it inspire you to do or say things in a new way?
Did you have a more positive outlook after interacting with this person?
Did you feel like you had a good way forward?

A positive influence is someone who helps you improve.

This may mean becoming more disciplined or confident, taking up new hobbies or interests, overcoming fears or weaknesses, trying new activities, making healthier choices – but it doesn’t have to be just about self-improvement; sometimes a positive influence also means opening your mind to new ideas, perspectives, and experiences.

Encouraged and Strengthened

Generally – and this isn’t always the case – you feel encouraged and empowered after spending time with them (or encountering them, for however long).

You probably enjoy spending more time with them – if not just for their company, but also because they make you feel better. Chances are, your friends will notice these improvements, too!

Shared by Altruistic People

Positively influencing others is also an example of altruism: when someone puts another person’s needs before their own.

Altruism is most often practiced by charitable people who spend much of their time caring for others less fortunate than themselves (e.g., volunteers who work with hungry children in developing countries).

In fact, all kinds of altruistic acts can help bring out the best in everyone involved: showing someone the way when they get lost, taking in an elderly relative so the family has one less thing to worry about… Even cheering up a friend on Facebook counts!

The People We Choose to Have Around Us Can Have a Huge Impact on Our Lives

It’s important to surround yourself with people who make you happy, cheer you up, and give you encouragement.

Not everyone can be your soulmate or best friend, but there are people in your life who have a positive influence on you. These are the people who’ve good intentions and brighten your day just by being there. Most people care about others and want to help. They’re kind and pleasant and generous because they give without expecting anything in return.

They aren’t overly critical or judgmental because they know that no one is perfect. They want to see the big picture before they judge another’s actions or behavior.
They don’t gossip or talk behind others’ backs because they don’t want to waste their time on such things when they could be focusing on more important things in their lives.
They don’t hold grudges because they know that if they forgive someone, they can move forward in their lives instead of experiencing the same thing over and over again, holding on to anger at another person for something that happened in the past.

You may even find that some of these people are friends or family members who’ve proven themselves over and over again by helping you through difficult times or sharing positive energy with you when you needed it most.

When it comes to the people in your life, pay attention to the ones you spend time with. If these people are a bad influence in your life and are causing problems or unhappiness for one reason or another, maybe it’s time to reconsider whether they should still be in your life.

The People Who Are Most Likely to Be Positive Influences Will Believe and Support You No Matter What

You can identify positive influences in your life by paying attention to their actions. These are the people who, regardless of whether you succeed or fail, will be there for you and have your back. They’ll support you in the things you want to do, even if they aren’t always directly involved.

Positive influences will encourage you to try new things. They’ll not devalue or reject your ideas and interests. They’ll not condemn your choices, but will help you find solutions to any problems that arise along the way.

These are the people who’re interested in what’s going on in your life and want to know about it; who listen when something important happens, for better or for worse; who want to see pictures of what’s going on with you, and so on.

These are the people whose door is always open when you need a place to sleep (or longer).

A positive influence isn’t someone who just rejoices in your success and hates your mistakes – they’re there for you, through thick and thin.

Signs That Someone is a Good Influence on You

Healthy relationships with others are based on support and encouragement.

A good influence makes you feel like you can accomplish anything, even if it seems impossible at the moment. In other words, they want to help you be the best version of yourself.

Here are some examples of how they show that:

They listen to what you’ve to say without judging or giving their own opinion.
They give you advice when you ask for it, but otherwise, they’re silent about things in your life unless you speak up.
They encourage you when things get difficult and praise you when something goes well (even if it’s just a small accomplishment).
They’ve realistic expectations about how long something should take or how hard an assignment might be. If your grade isn’t as good as usual, they let it slide until the next time without getting angry or making assumptions about why you’re not doing as well as you used to.
They focus on solutions instead of dwelling on problems or mistakes (this is called a positive attitude).
They also make fun of themselves – they don’t think everything is a joke or that humor doesn’t belong in the classroom – and they aren’t afraid to laugh at themselves.
They don’t hold grudges when they’ve had a fight – they’re likely to apologize first if they’ve misbehaved.
They’re willing to help others in the class and on projects when needed.
Their overall behavior is such that you want to emulate it (a good role model).
Their criticism is constructive and aimed at improving your work rather than highlighting your mistakes.
Their compliments are specific and positive, rather than vague (“Great job!”) or meaningless (“You’re great!”).

There Are Plenty of Ways to Build and Maintain a Positive Influence Around You

Being a good role model is a skill that has its benefits, but it can also come with difficulties.

Getting others to become a better version of themselves requires both patience and consistency. As long as you act with integrity, honesty, selflessness, and compassion, the influence you exert on those around you’ll be extremely rewarding for both parties.

Understand the importance. A positive influence can make a big difference in your mood, health, and life experience. If you have a lot of negative influences around you, it can be difficult to break away from them and develop new, positive habits.
Surround yourself with positive people. Make a conscious effort to be around people who inspire you, make you feel good, and strive for success in their own lives.
Be a good role model for those around you. This is especially important if you’re a parent or caregiver, but it should apply to everyone else as well. Don’t just tell people to be positive – show them how by being a positive influence yourself!
Be a good listener when someone wants to talk to you about something important or difficult. If you take the time to listen, you’ll find that their attitude and perspective on life have changed significantly.

Positive Influences Can Help You Become a Better Person

Positive influences can help you become a better person. They’re all around you. All around your community, all around the world, people are doing good things.

Here are some tips to help you find positive influences in your life and become one yourself:

Get involved in a community service activity or organization. Read up on what they do and why they exist. Ask questions that show you care about their missions and how they impact others. Not only will this have a positive impact on your life, but it’ll also help make the world a better place for everyone!
Find a mentor at work or school who’s been there and done that. Someone with experience can give you advice on how to navigate difficult situations so we don’t get stuck making bad decisions “because we didn’t know better at the time.”

Positive Influences Are Important to Your Mental Health

Mental health is the foundation for thinking, communicating, learning, and interacting with others. All of this takes place in your mind and influences how you act. From the time we wake up to the time we go to bed, we make many decisions every day that affect our mental health.

A person or group that’s a positive influence on you can lift your mood, encourage you when you’re feeling down, provide emotional support in difficult situations, encourage you toward your life goals, and instill confidence. These people can help you learn new skills or push you out of your comfort zone by encouraging you to try new experiences or ideas.

Positive influences can also bring joy into your life through fun and laughter and help relieve the stress of everyday life.

What’re some signs of good mental health?

You feel confident and happy with yourself
You’re able to cope with stress and bounce back from hard times or setbacks
You communicate well with family and friends
You have a strong support system at home, school, or work
Be able to function in everyday life (school or work) and activities (sports, hobbies)
Not having thoughts about hurting yourself or other people

Positive Influences Can Help You Deal With Pressure

Positive people in your life can be helpful for many reasons, such as helping you deal with pressure.

If you’re being pressured by others to do something that makes you uncomfortable, it helps to have people in your life who encourage you to make good choices and stand up for what’s important to you. If you’re struggling with peer pressure or social pressure, it’s good to have a friend who knows how strong and capable you’re.

When you feel pressured by negative feelings, it helps to have someone to remind you why they don’t matter. When we’re sad or angry, it’s easy to get lost in our own thoughts and feelings. When we allow these emotions to take over our entire brain, they can make us feel like the situation is worse than it really is.

A friend who helps us see things from a different perspective can help us realize that the situation isn’t so bad after all!

People often tell themselves they’re “hanging in there” when things are bad for them, but sometimes those words don’t mean much unless someone is there to cheer them on! Positive influencers can help keep your head above water during tough times by reminding everyone how strong they really are!

Use Positive Influences to Have Better Relationships

Positive relationships are good for your health!

Research has shown that spending time with friends is good for your immune system. Also, if you make sure to maintain those positive relationships, you’ll stay on top of what’s going on in your life and get a sense of purpose and direction.

With positive influences in your life, you’ll build and maintain better relationships with others.

You can build positive relationships by:

When you talk to someone, speak from their heart, be honest, and share your feelings.
Having respect for other people’s feelings and points of view.
Showing interest in their lives without being pushy or judgmental.
Listen carefully when they talk to you.
Compromise and find a good solution that works for everyone.

How Positive Influences Affect Your Behavior

Positive influences can have a number of effects on your behavior.

You’re more likely to behave in a pro-social way. This is any behavior that’s positive and benefits society as a whole. This might include volunteering, voting, avoiding criminal activity, and caring for the environment.
You’re more likely to spend time with positive people. The people around you have a big influence on how you behave. If your friends are smokers, you’ll be more likely to smoke yourself. However, if you surround yourself with people who use their words without resorting to name-calling and verbal attacks, you may be less likely to engage in those negative behaviors yourself.
You’re more willing to try new things. When you feel good about yourself, you find it easier to take risks because you worry less about the consequences of failure or embarrassment in the eyes of others if you fail.

Why Positive Influences Influence Performance

Positive influences are an important component of performance. Positive influences contribute to your performance by helping you get better, play better, practice better, and be more motivated. Positive influences can help you set goals.

I personally practice target archery. It requires a high level of mental and physical dedication to be successful.

Positive thinking is hugely important because if an arrow misses the gold (or the target at all), the trick isn’t to dwell on it. However, when an arrow lands right in the center of the target, that’s the moment to celebrate the moment and build the will within you to repeat it!

Those who approach the sport with this perspective perform much better than those who whine about poor performances or focus on the negativity of others.

Of course, this lesson doesn’t just apply to archery.

How to Use Social Media as a Positive Influence

Looking for positive influences on social media can be difficult because there are many negative influences there as well.

There are many ways to find positive influences, such as by looking for people on Twitter who’ve similar interests or values as you, or by following certain hashtags that are relevant to topics you like to read about (like #books or #sports).

Use your social media pages to share positive stories from around the world.
Share inspirational messages when you find them.
Upload photos and videos that show how great the world really is.
Share motivational quotes, memes, and texts on your social media pages.
If you see someone express a negative emotion, take a moment to assess whether you can help.
Set a good example to others with your posts.

We All Have Negative Influences

It’s not possible to avoid negative influences altogether. While there are ways to surround yourself with positive influences, sometimes you’ve to have a negative experience to learn something and grow as a person. Negative influences aren’t necessarily bad people; they can be people who don’t understand you. In your life, however, they can show you what kind of influence you don’t want to have.

Negative influences can be people or things that negatively affect your behavior and cause you to make bad choices.

For example, smoking cigarettes is an unhealthy habit that can negatively affect your health. A person who regularly interacts with you and smokes could influence you to take up the same habit.
Other examples of negative influences include watching violence on television, using drugs, or participating in illegal activities such as underage drinking or shoplifting.

A negative person is someone who constantly complains about their lives and focuses only on the negative aspects of their situation. They may try to bring up issues that intentionally cause distress or anger and often refuse to talk about positive things because they “don’t have time for it.”

Also, negative people tend to blame others instead of taking responsibility for themselves.

What to Do About Negative Influences

If you’ve built relationships with people who’re constantly negative and never seem to have anything nice to say, they may have become so ingrained in your life that it’s hard to imagine life without them. The best thing you can do is take note of their behavior:

Are they bluntly insulting you or others?
Are they rude when you ask them for help?
Do they make promises they can’t keep?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to reevaluate your relationship with them. Maybe it’s time to take a break from that negative influence so you can both work on yourselves and grow as individuals.

Staying away from negative influences will also help you in your quest for positivity and happiness.

Peer Pressure Can Be Both Positive and Negative

Peer pressure can also be a good thing. It can make you make positive decisions and try new things.

For example, peer pressure can help you learn to drive or cook for the first time. Your peers might encourage you to participate in healthy activities like swimming or hiking or to join a sports team.

By introducing you to new experiences and activities, your friends can introduce you to other friends who share your interests and hobbies. Your relationships with these people will lead to even more positive experiences because they’ll motivate you and support you in your growth and development.

Be aware that there is also something called negative peer pressure – do your best to avoid this when you run across it.

The Positive Impact That Positive Energy Can Have on the World

Positive influences can help others make good decisions that improve their lives and cause positive change in the lives of others around them.

You can make a positive impact by caring about the environment around you, encouraging others to do good things, volunteering for an organization you care about and helping people where you can.

When we look at the world around us, it’s easy to see that there are a lot of negative influences. But what about all the positive influences on our lives? We know that different ways exist, but sometimes we have a hard time naming those positive influences.

As you work to find your place in this world, I believe you have a responsibility to do everything you can to take advantage of all the positive influences you might encounter. In this way, as a positive person, you’re already giving back to the world.

You’ll be a positive influencer!