Photo: All Spirit Fitness

‘Throughout my life, I have experienced some of the best and worst in human nature – in romance, in business and even in friendships,’ says Martina Navratilova in her book ‘Shape Yourself’. ‘She dedicates her book to those people who help bring out the best in others, since she believes that ‘the right people can inspire you to do the right things’. One of the all-time tennis greats, Martina shares her knowledge of how to build a strong support team.

Keep good company –‘Gravitate towards people who are good for you’

If you’re reaching for goals, no matter what they are, seek support from significant others in your life. Surround yourself with positive people. Martina says ‘positive people bring upbeat, inspiring energy to your efforts’.

Encouragement and enthusiasm during the up-times can give you a boost to reach even higher goals. Having someone on your side who believes in you during the down times can make all the difference.

Tune in – ‘Pay attention to the signals people send’

Martina says that you can tell a lot about people from how they act, asking:

• How do they treat waiters in restaurants?
• Are they compassionate?
• Are they respectful of others people?
• Can they admit their mistakes?

Tune out – ‘Learn to deal with negative people’

Identify if there are any rotten apples in your life as your well-being is greatly influenced by the people around you. ‘If you’re in a relationship in which the other person is unsupportive or even cruel, trying to sabotage you at every turn… you may have to examine whether you want to stay in that relationship and whether you want that kind of life,’ says Martina.

This is because ‘an unsupportive person can make you ambivalent about your goals and ambivalent about yourself.’

If you can’t change things, move on swiftly and reach for the stars – those bright folk who inspire you to greater things.

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