Surround yourself with positive people and you'll be a positive

Hear the words of Kellie Pickler, spoken with the clarity of one who has walked through hardship and found wisdom: “Surround yourself with positive people and you’ll be a positive person.” This is not mere advice for comfort—it is a law of life, as ancient as the rising of the sun and as true as the pull of the earth. For just as a tree leans toward the light of the sun, so too does the human soul grow in the direction of those around it. The company we keep becomes the soil in which our spirit takes root.

To walk among positive people is to breathe air that uplifts, to hear words that inspire, to witness lives that remind you of what is possible. Their strength becomes a mirror to your own, their hope a flame that kindles your courage. Conversely, to dwell among the bitter, the envious, and the despairing is to drink from a poisoned well. Their darkness seeps into your own, and what begins as their weight soon becomes your burden. Thus Pickler teaches that the shaping of the self begins with the shaping of one’s circle.

The ancients knew this truth well. In the Proverbs of Solomon it is written: “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Likewise, the philosophers of Greece declared that friendship is the school of virtue, for by observing the noble deeds of friends, one learns to act nobly. Even the harsh Stoics, who prized independence, acknowledged that the character of a man is revealed—and molded—by the companions he chooses. To be positive is not only an inward decision, but also an outward association.

History offers shining examples. Consider Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was struck down by polio and confined to a wheelchair. He might have been crushed by despair. Yet he surrounded himself with loyal advisors, friends, and family who believed in his strength. Their positivity lifted him, and in time he lifted an entire nation from the depths of depression and war. Had he chosen to dwell among voices of doubt, his flame might have gone out. But because he gathered light around him, he became light for millions.

Pickler’s wisdom is also a warning. Many believe they can stand untouched among the bitter and remain uncorrupted. But the spirit, like a flame, is vulnerable to the winds that surround it. Even the strongest fire flickers in a storm of negativity. Thus, it is not prideful but wise to choose carefully those who share your table, those whose voices you let echo in your heart. Your spirit is too precious to be entrusted to the careless.

The lesson for us is clear: if you would be positive, seek out those who already shine with hope and goodness. Let their example strengthen you, their words steady you, their presence remind you of what matters. And likewise, strive to be such a person for others. For in doing so, you create not only a circle of positivity but a chain of influence that stretches outward, changing the world one relationship at a time.

Practical steps follow from this teaching. Look at those with whom you spend your hours: do they lift you toward the light, or drag you into shadow? Choose to nurture friendships with those who encourage growth, who practice kindness, who live with joy. Become intentional about the words you share, the attitudes you project, and the presence you carry—so that others, by being with you, may also become more positive. In this way, you fulfill both halves of Pickler’s wisdom: surrounding yourself with the light of others, and becoming a light yourself.

So remember her counsel: “Surround yourself with positive people and you’ll be a positive person.” This is no passing thought, but an eternal truth: that the soul reflects the company it keeps. Choose the circle of light, and you will walk in light. Choose the circle of darkness, and you will stumble in shadow. The choice is yours, and in that choice lies the destiny of your heart.