The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”   Epictetus

A Stoic philosopher with a flair for living a full life in dangerous times, Epictetus knew about the value of strong, uplifting friendships. Friends are the people we choose to be around and who choose to be around us. And choosing them wisely makes wonderful sense, doesn’t it?

What a gift it is to be able to choose the people we surround ourselves with in our writing life! They’re our writing tribe, our writing buddies, our fellow travelers on the road to expressing ourselves and sharing our gifts. While our first families may be offer us many blessings, they often pose challenges when it comes to helping us take flight with our creativity. Those who think they know us the best often put us in boxes: Without even meaning to, they can sometimes seek to clip our wings when what we really want and need is to be free to fly.

But our writing buddies – they’re different: They are the people we take joy in growing along with, spending time with, and talking shop with. They’re the people we turn to for help in sharing our ideas and gifts. They’re the ones who “uplift” us and “whose presence calls forth” our best in simple, supportive ways:

They believe in us and in the work we’re doing – it matters to them.

They cushion the tough blows we take and boost our resilience.

They offer examples of perseverance and self-motivation.

They give us honest, productive feedback the pushes us forward.

They celebrate our successes, large and small, with joy and verve.

What a gift these uplifters are! Let’s be thankful for them every day as we all write on.