I feel that it’s important to tell you that all of my good ideas come from other people. This why I love conversation and listening, you guys are so interesting. I take the things I hear and relate them to my own experiences and then share them with you. I hope you enjoy them but they are not always original to me.

Today, I want to share with you a piece of advice that my much older and wiser (ha! He’s rolling his eyes here!) brother, Fort, gave me when I was younger.

I was learning how to play tennis. Fort, who is 12 years older than me and was already in medical school at the time said, “I always like to play with someone who is better than me. That’s how you get better.”

Well, 10 year old me really only wanted to win so I sought out partners with less experience. However, I revered my brother so eventually I decided to give it a go and I became a famous tennis player. JK

But seriously, I did take this advice to heart. It turns out that it is applicable to pretty much all areas of life. If you want to be an amazing teacher, find one to inspire you. If you want to be an incredible parent, seek out those you admire and spend time with them. If you want to be wise with money, a great friend, writer, decorator, entrepreneur, partner, whatever you want . . . SEEK OUT PEOPLE who are further along in their journey than you are.

Lately, I have been thinking about how this advice relates to friendship; a topic that has been on my mind as I watch my children getting older and more influenced by others.

A few weeks ago, the Today show interviewed a basketball star turned felon turned community activist. He talked about the very rocky road he has traveled. He said,

“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”

YES.

When I think of my own friends, I see so many qualities in each of them that I truly admire and want to emulate. Each of them is better than me in areas that I’d like to improve.

I want this for my kids. I want them to seek out friends who are not just their equals but who are further along in areas they admire. I believe it’s one of our many jobs as parents to help our children pursue positive friendships.

I’d love to hear how this looks in your life, personally or as you raise your children or from veteran moms who might have advice on how to do this. Feel free to comment below or email laurenskijones@gmail.com

XO, Lauren