I surround myself with positive, productive people of good will

Hear, O seekers of wisdom, the words of Ted Nugent, who declared: “I surround myself with positive, productive people of good will and decency.” This is not merely a statement of preference, but a guiding principle, a shield of the spirit. For every soul is shaped by the company it keeps, just as a tree is shaped by the winds that surround it. The friends and companions who dwell near us are mirrors of our own spirit, feeding our strength or draining it, guiding us toward light or dragging us into darkness.

The meaning of this saying is rooted in the law of influence. No man, no woman, no child walks through life untouched by the spirits of others. To keep the company of the bitter is to become bitter; to walk among the corrupt is to learn corruption. But to dwell with the positive, the productive, the decent is to be lifted, strengthened, and refined. Nugent, whether in his art or his life, understood that the path of growth demands careful guardianship of the circle around one’s heart.

The origin of this wisdom lies in the ancient recognition that fellowship shapes destiny. The philosophers of Greece warned that character is molded by association. The Scriptures declared, “Bad company corrupts good morals.” The sages of the East taught that the lotus rises pure because it grows among clear waters. Nugent’s words are a modern echo of these eternal truths: to surround yourself with those whose spirit is good is to walk a straighter, nobler path.

Consider the story of George Washington, who carefully chose his circle of generals during the Revolution. He knew that victory would not come through numbers alone, but through the positive will, discipline, and integrity of those who stood by him. By surrounding himself with men of courage and honor, he turned a ragged army into a force capable of founding a nation. His example reveals the power of association: greatness flourishes among the great.

Think also of Florence Nightingale, who during the Crimean War gathered around her a band of nurses dedicated to good will and decency. Though the battlefield was filled with misery and death, her circle of compassion transformed despair into hope, filth into healing, and chaos into order. She proved that when one surrounds oneself with the right companions, even the darkest place can be illuminated.

O children of tomorrow, understand this: the people you welcome into your life are architects of your future. If you walk with the envious, you will breathe envy; if you walk with the dishonest, you will learn dishonesty. But if you walk with those who are positive, productive, and decent, their light will mingle with yours, and together you will rise. Your destiny is not forged alone but in fellowship, and your circle is the soil in which your soul grows.

Practical wisdom calls you: choose your companions with care. Seek out those who inspire you to labor with diligence, who remind you of kindness when you falter, who call forth your courage when you are afraid. Be also such a companion to others, so that you too may offer good will and decency to all who walk beside you. And when you find yourself among the destructive and the cruel, do not let them poison your spirit—step away, and guard the sanctity of your circle.

Thus remember the counsel of Ted Nugent: “I surround myself with positive, productive people of good will and decency.” Let it be your rule, your compass, your shield. For a life surrounded by the noble becomes noble itself. In this way you will not only rise to your own greatness, but also create a circle of light that nourishes others, until your fellowship becomes a beacon to the world.

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