Munira Premji

I don’t know who first said it. But I feel it in my bones.

Because when I look at my life right now, I can see the fingerprints of the people around me – all over who I am becoming.

There’s the one who makes me want to soar. She challenges me. Pushes me. Sees something in me that I sometimes forget to see in myself. With her, I don’t perform… I expand.

There’s the one who quietly lives service. No spotlight. No noise. Just deep, grounded purpose. Her faith isn’t something she talks about – it’s something she embodies. And being around her recalibrates me.

There’s my young BFF – who chooses connection, again and again. She shows up. She shares. She makes space. And reminds me that love isn’t just felt, it’s demonstrated.

Then there’s my myeloma community. People walking a road none of us would have chosen – yet showing up with courage, humour, faith, and a kind of resilience that humbles me. They are teachers in the deepest sense.

And my faith community. The place that holds me, grounds me, and reminds me that I belong to something bigger than myself.

And of course – my family. The constant thread. The mirror. The anchor. The joy.

When I step back, I realize something important: None of us become who we are in isolation. We are shaped – daily, quietly, powerfully – by the people we let close.

Their habits become our habits.
Their beliefs start to influence our thinking. Their energy? It either lifts us, or slowly drains us.

So here’s the question I’ve been sitting with: Who are you spending your time with?

Are they:

• Expanding you or shrinking you?
• Challenging you or keeping you comfortable?
• Energizing you, or exhausting you?

Because here’s the truth – whether we like it or not. You will be influenced.

The only question is. Are you being influenced by design, or by default?

Maybe it’s time to take a gentle inventory.
Not to judge.
Not to cut people off dramatically.
But to get intentional.

To lean into the people who call you higher. And create space – lovingly – from what pulls you down.

Because your life, your energy, your becoming, is too important to leave to chance.

If you were to name your “five”,
what would they be shaping in you right now?