We Are the Five People We Associate with Most
Last month I was invited to participate in a charity golf tournament in Las Vegas to celebrate the life of the late dancing legend Gregory Hines. The event was held to raise funds and awareness of the tragic disease that took this entertainer’s life.
Although we were focusing on this serious matter, it was a true pleasure to meet all the celebrities and people whom I would not normally have the opportunity to meet while living here in San Diego. However, what really left an impression with me the most was a conversation I had with Gregory Hines’s father, Maurice.
I went up to him and simply asked this question: "What was it about Gregory’s upbringing that made him such a leader in his art?"
"Well, it’s like this," began his proud dad in an authoritative manner. "All we did was watch what he loved to do and then encourage him to continue doing it. You should’ve seen his eyes light up when he was only a child dancing for the family. When we put a ball in his hand, he didn’t share the same passion so we simply took it away."
"That’s it?" I asked in a surprised tone.
"Yes, it’s as simple as that," he replied. "You see so many people try to push their kids into doing something that they themselves want, rather than supporting their children in doing what they want."
Which brings me to this topic.
Where could you be right now—or even better, where could you be tomorrow — if you surrounded yourself with a network of positive support to assist you on your journey?
There’s an old saying that goes, "We are the five people that we associate with the most, and our income is an average of those five people."
If you don’t like the path you’re on, I suggest that you take a look around you to see who you’re associating with. After all, water truly does seek its own level.
"How do we change this?" you ask.
Here’s what I did, and I invite you to do the same.
A few years back, I looked around and noticed that all I did was hang around with other salespeople such as myself. Realizing that I wanted more from my life than to simply sit around talking about the great deal or the money I’d made that day, I sought out a new group of people to associate myself with—people who could help me on my new journey to become an author and motivational speaker. I ran ads on the Internet and in the newspaper seeking new people to associate with and "soak up the success" with, so to speak.
When I couldn’t find such a club, I decided to create one of my own. I called it the Influential Men’s Group. We met once a month and discussed our ideas and plans to make them become realities. Most important, we supported and held one other accountable to see those dreams come true.
As I write this now, I think to myself how grateful I am for all the wonderful people who’ve come into my life this past year. Due to this great group of people, I’ve gone from a business owner/salesman, to a number one best-selling author. I’ve been published with my heroes and industry greats such as Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Mark Victor Hansen, Tom Hopkins, Bob Proctor, Peter Lowe, Cynthia Kersey, Steven E., John Assaraf, Dr. Wayne Dyer, and the internationally acclaimed artist Wyland, just to name a few.
I share this with you not to impress you, but to impress upon you to be careful of what you ask for. You may just get it.
In closing, I ask you once more: Where could you be tomorrow, by surrounding yourself with supportive, like-minded people who truly want you to succeed?
We are the company we keep. Choose your company wisely.
Best wishes, and keep smilin’!
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