We all have friends, and some of us still have friends from childhood. How many of us have taken the time to evaluate our friendships and how they are affecting us?

Understanding our friends' part in our lives can help us embark on our life purpose journey or any journey.

By the end of this post, you will know the four ways friends shape our future and what types of people we should call friends.

Friends Affect the Way We Think and Feel about Yourself

I know you think that no one can affect the way you feel about yourself, but those we spend the most time with can influence us.

Take a second and think about your friends. How many times have you been with your friends and you shared some news? After you shared your news, your friends congratulated you and made you feel good about your shared information.

You felt better about your news after that than you did before you told your friends. You were ready to share the information with anyone you came across because you thought it would make them happy as it made you friends.

Now think about a time where you share some news, and all your friends reacted negatively. How did that make you feel?

I have felt a little down on myself because of their reactions. Even though I know my news is good, and I am doing something great, their response made me feel uneasy.

My expectations for my friend's reaction may have been too high, so that is why I could have reacted that way.

We are the total of the people we spend the most time with. I don't know about you, but I want to be around people who will be happy and share my happiness. Having people around me who find an issue in me and the things I do is not the best situation.

Friends Influence Each Other's Personal Preferences and Lifestyles

Just as friends can affect the way, we think and feel. Friends can affect our preferences and lifestyle choices.

How many times have you seen your friend wearing a brand or a style, and you went out and brought something from the brand or in the same style?

Have any of your friends encouraged you to go back to school or start saving money?

These are just some of the ways our friends influence us. Sometimes, when we spend a lot of time with people, we like some of the same things and act the same way.

 While these examples were positive, friends can also affect our lifestyles and preferences negatively.

Have you ever paid attention to how easy it is to fall into the trap of negativity, especially when the people around you are negative?

We need to have friends that will influence us in a positive way instead of a negative way.

Friendships in the Present Influence the Nature of Your Friendships in the Future

We start making friends when we are children. Sometimes we keep the same friends and other times we lose those friends and make new ones. All of the friends we make are shaped in a form or fashion by the friends we've had previously.

When you have friends that treat you wrong, you are setting yourself up to believe that this is how friends treat each other. Down the line, you will think people are only your friend if they display these traits.

The same is true for friends who are encouraging and supportive. We will look for friends in the future who display the same qualities.

Friendships work like relationships in this we because we attract what we used to.

 Yes, we will have friends who may not know who to be a "good" friend, and that could be because they have never had someone show them what a "good" friend is.

It is essential for us to be aware of the people we are around and how they treat us. Though rare, some people may not know how they are treating you is wrong because that is what they are used to.

A Strong Social Network is Associated with a Healthier and Longer Life. 

 People who have supportive people around them have healthier and longer lives.

The reason people with strong social networks live longer because you don't feel alone, and you know that there are people here for you. To have a strong social network, you have to make sure those around you are positive but not afraid to hold you accountable.

Most of us do not want to think about our friendships' effects on our lives, but when choosing friends, we should take our time and make sure they are a good fit in our current life and where we see ourselves in the future.

Surround yourself with people who bring about the best in you and vice versa.