Your Tribe Matters

It’s official.  Your mother was right.  Who you hang out with – bad boys and bad girls – really does matter.  Studies now confirm that your success in life will be equal to the average of the five people you spend most of your time with.

This goes beyond “the birds of a feather flock together" wives tale.  This affects you on ALL levels of your life; not just in the present, but also who you will BECOME.

I remember teaching on this subject last year and saying something like this:  “Show me the five most dominate voices in your life, and I can show you the trajectory of your future.”

It’s true.  Your tribe matters.

This applies not only to levels of success, but to health and wellness as well.  We all know that “behavior” is contagious.  People who hang out with substance abusers will pick up the same behaviors.  Heavy eaters, heavy drinkers, lawbreakers, risk takers, chronic spenders, mismanagement of money, etc.  So forth and so on.

Conversely, if we hang out with people who have more positive behaviors, we are more likely to pick up those same behaviors ourselves.

HERE’S THE POINT:  It means we need to consciously create our tribe and make sure we have plenty of positive influences in our lives.

SO NOW, THE TOUGH QUESTION:  Are there people in your life that you need to let go of?  Or people you need to spend less time with so that their level of influence upon you isn’t so strong?

THE FUN QUESTION:  Who do you want to spend more time with?  Who is the person (or persons) who fill you up, make you smile, and you enjoy being with?  Who is the person whose business totally inspires you?  Reach out to them.  Get together for coffee.

To create the life you want you need to spend time with people who are not a drain upon you.  You need "safe people."  They build you up, not tear you down.

We are impressionable beings – for better or for worse – and that’s why we need to be selective in our associations.

I Corinthians 15:33)  “Do not be misled:  Bad company corrupts good character.”