I am a very outgoing person and because of that I attract a lot of people into my life. Most of these people are great and people that I want to have in my life. However, being young and having fun is something that can bring about the wrong type of people, too. I find myself often surrounded by people that I do not want to call friends and because of that, I often have to make decisions to avoid peer pressure.
It does not matter how old you are, a teen or an adult, there are people that will try to sway you from doing what you know is good. These are people that can often lead you down the wrong path, usually because that is where they are heading, too. I find myself often spending a lot of my time determining if I should offer a helping hand to those people that obviously are struggling, or if I simply should walk away.
I say no. When someone approaches me and asks me to do something that I do not want to do or to participate in something that I know will harm me in my future, I simply say no and walk away. A friend will not force you or bring up the situation again. The person that comes after you and pushes you is not someone you want in your life.
I recently experienced this type of person. I told her no, and, when she came after me to again pressure me, I suggested that she reach out and get help from family and friends. I even suggested one of the best places I know for people struggling with addictions, LaPalomaTreatment.com.
I don’t know if she took this advice, but I do know that I did not find myself going down the wrong road because of the peer pressure she was trying to inflict.
