You only live once! Life is short, make the most of it! Sow your wild oats while you can!
You have likely heard these messages or perhaps said them to your teen or a friend. However, those who take the message to heart without any boundaries often experience ongoing ripple effects from their actions or the choices of those around them. For example, consider Ryan Lochte’s fellow swimmers that night in Brazil or the young Marion County man who took the upskirt pictures at school and sent them to friends.
In his book/DVD series “Guardrails,” Andy Stanley reminds us that friends influence the direction and quality of our lives. Guardrails are things that can protect us from danger, such as going over a cliff.
“The thing that makes friendship so great is the very thing that makes friendship so dangerous,” says Stanley.
He contends that people drop their guard when they are around those who accept them. And, when they feel completely accepted, they are much more open to the influence of the people around them.