We begin to socialise with others from a very young age.  As time goes by, we forget some people, but we will never forget the ones who brought sparks into our lives. The ones that made us laugh till our stomachs hurt, positively influenced and strengthened us, those who supported us in times of distress and encouraged us to pursue our passions. The ones we call our FRIENDS.

As young people, we are influenced by our friends because we spend more time with them and in doing so, we adapt to their beliefs and behaviours. I, for one, have unconsciously adapted my friends’ habit of using the words ” like” and “yah” in almost every sentence.

The influence our friends have on us however is not always milk and honey, some of our friends are unlikely to have the wisdom to guide us in the right direction and this could lead to negative consequences. “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with”, so it is imperative that we make the right decision when it comes to choosing our friends. With the right friends, our lives become more exciting and adventurous because of the positive energy they bring into our lives.

Muhammed Ali once said: “Friendship is not something you learn in school, but if you haven’t learnt the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learnt anything”.

For better or for worse our friends will influence the decisions we make in life.

Just remember: to have good friends, you must be one first. We should always take time to appreciate the friends we have.