Promise #8: Find your Popeyes, Lose your Wimpys

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Who would you rather have on your team: Popeye with his spinach muscle or Wimpy with his hamburger fat? I’m blindly banking on Popeye to deliver. For seventy-five, fun-loving years he stayed true to himself (“I yam what I yam”) and stayed true to his friends. Wimpy, on the other hand, was a mooch through and through (“I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.”)

Everyone needs a few Popeyes in their life. No one needs a Wimpy. Chances are you have a mixture of both on your friendship roster.

Popeyes make you feel happy, strong and secure. They form a bond with you that’s honest, dependable, unwavering and unconditional. There is give and take. Laughter and love. Strength and courage. These friendships are all muscle. They drive you through life and anchor you during storms.

Wimpys, on the other hand, are the direct opposite. When you mingle with a Wimpy you feel like the life is being sucked out of you. Bit by bit, Wimpys take and take and take. They form a bond with you that’s exhaustingly self-serving. They’re only around when they need you. They don’t always take your calls. They rarely follow-through. They lie at the drop of anyone’s hat. These friendships are all fat. They slow you down and, eventually, leave you floating all alone.

The good news is there’s nothing stopping YOU from building a stronger team. Trim the fat. Build the muscle. You’ll enjoy a smoother voyage through life.