Who Are Your Friends?

The Harris brothers [therebelution.com] correctly stated that "you are who your friends are." While this simply displays the importance of choosing friends who will support you in doing the right thing, it can be easy to stop it there and just choose good friends.

However, it is also important to realize that entertainment such as movies, music, time spent on Facebook, or even reading a book can influence how we live our lives. Just like you would spend time with a friend, we often spend similar time with our own forms of relaxation and entertainment. Consequently, it is vital to take the time to read the lyrics of that song you want to buy on iTunes, research the rating of the newest movie that "everyeone's watching," and try to limit time spent on the internet and social networking sites such as Facebook or Myspace. While certain movies, songs, and chatting on Facebook are good things in and of themselves, we as teenagers need to begin doing the hard thing and re-evaluate what it is that we are feeding ourselves.

For example, when I personally want to buy a new song from an artist I am not generally familiar with, I tend to look up the lyrics and think about how those lyrics may influence my life. For instance, I have made the decision to not date until I am ready for a long-term commitment. If a song has frequent references to a certain theme [like dating] that makes me question my convictions, I know that song is not for me.

Don't get me wrong, doing these things can be very hard. At first glance, it may seem exciting and a great way to practice doing hard things. However, it gets more difficult as new songs come out with even more catchier tunes!

Please join me in taking the time to consider who exactly it is that we spend our time with. Who are your friends?

Thanks for reading!

-Jimmy

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