Who are your top five?

I was at a retreat and had to answer two simple questions.

1. Who are the five people you spend the most time with?

2. Who are the five people who most bring joy and light to your life?

It was pretty easy to answer both of them, especially the second one. When I thought of those five people who brought me joy and light, a smile spread across my face, and even a couple laughs.

The follow up question was the one that hit me.

Are the five people in each question the same?

They most definitely were not, and in that moment, I realized how much I needed it to change.

No matter how strong we are in our faith, in our peace, and in our joy, it will be depleted if we don’t value the time to replenish it. If we aren’t allowing ourselves to be filled by others who build us up and inspire us, we will eventually have nothing left to give to ourselves or others.

This was all made very clear to me at the retreat. I had been struggling with my work, frustrated with the people around me, and anxious about many things. When I looked at the people I spent time with, none of them brought me joy. They weren’t horrible people, they just needed more from me than they gave.

When I looked at the people who brought me light, I realized that I hadn’t even sent them a text in months, much less seen them in person. I didn’t need a lot of time with them – just a connection, an occasional coffee, and a few smiles and joyful laughs. I just needed the time.

Once I reconnected with them, my whole world changed. It was filled with joy, energy, and peace. I was able to give to those who needed me and still have some left over for myself. Honestly, it’s pretty addictive. J

Today, I’ll ask you the same questions.

Who are the five people you spend the most time with? Who are the five people who most bring you joy and light?

Are they the same?

Share this with the five people who bring you joy, and let them know how much they mean to you!