There are people in this world that will never support you. They will decide not to like you for their own reasons. There are only so many things you can do to change their mind and you will expend boat loads of energy trying to get them on your team. Only you can decide if it’s really worth it. Is this an advisor you’ll need to get where you want in your career? Is this the parent or child of your significant other? Is this someone involved in a project or program you really truly care about?

There’s not necessarily a rhyme or reason to it, they just don’t like you. You can put forth all the effort in the world and some people will still choose not to like you. They will decide they are not on your team no matter what. But only you can decide whether that matters. These people are not your people. They may be people you have to deal with in your life, but they’re not your people.

There are also people in this world that will always support you. They think good thoughts for you no matter what you’re doing, no matter how far flung you have become, no matter how long it’s been since you’ve spent time with them. They’re the “I just like them” people. They can’t necessarily pinpoint why they like you, they just do. And they will be on your team whenever you need them.

The more organizations I get involved with, and campaigns I work on, and people I meet in my professional circles, the more of these people I find. They are the ones you call when you’re fundraising. They are the ones when you have a cause you’re promoting. And they’re the ones you call when you really need help. They are the first ones on board when you’re trying something new and they have your back when you want to make a controversial change. Those people matter. They’re your people.

Your people might be limited to certain subject matter as well. You may have your sports people and they may be different from your moving people and those may be a whole different group from your Take-My-Kids-If-Die people. Your people may not be your people across the board, but may be for certain things. My law people are not the same as my running people. You count on them differently for different things.

It is important to recognize and appreciate the people that are your people. You accumulate them as you go through life and you just generically want good things for each other. It doesn’t matter how or why you know them, it matters that you can identify them and that you appreciate what you can and will do for each other.

I have a friend from college – we’ve known each other more than half our lives now. Since I graduated almost twenty years ago, I’ve maybe seen him three times. We’ve texted here and there but not with any kind of consistency. When I started my law office he was the first person to congratulate me. When I ran for office, he was the first person to donate to my campaign. When he started his food truck business – in a whole other state from me – I made it a point to spread it far and wide on my social media and make every person I knew in that city go try it and show their support. We are not actively involved in each others’ day to day lives, but we sure as hell are each others’ people.

Keep those people. Appreciate those people. Recognize that not all people will be your people. Some people will actively never be your people. That’s okay. You don’t need them.

You have your people.