What Is Your Average?
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
That quote is from the great author and self-made millionaire, Jim Rohn. When I first read it four years ago, I remember thinking about the people that I spend the most time with, particularly in my business life. I also started making mental notes about who I felt was a positive influence and who tended to be a negative influence. Have you ever had a friend rain all over your idea or tell you that you couldn’t do something? Or, have you ever been at a networking event and felt that, for once, you were the smartest one there? In both cases, I want to encourage you to take a fresh look at who you are spending the most time with and, specifically, consider whether or not you feel challenged, supported, encouraged, and refreshed as a result.
I am not suggesting that you immediately go out and get some new friends, nor am I telling you that there is nothing to be gained by always being the sharpest knife in the drawer. Giving of yourself and helping others do well is both worthwhile and rewarding. What made a huge difference in my life is when I made a conscious effort to seek out and spend more time with other people whom I felt were both of the same mindset and, I hoped, smarter than I was! One of the most powerful visuals for me is a picture I once saw with Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, President Warren G. Harding, and Harvey C. Firestone. Can you imagine what it must have been like to be a fly on the wall when these four men got together? Can you imagine how one must have pushed or encouraged the other? Or how they all must have shared a particular strategy that was working for them? It must have been awesome to have such a support group.
A few years ago I heard the following expression: “If you want to run with the big dogs, you have to get off the porch!” So as you go through the rest of the week, think of the opportunities you have to build your success team and how you will benefit from being around a group of other like minded people to challenge each other. I sincerely hope that you are ready to make 2007 the year that you, too, get off the porch and start running with the big dogs!
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