"You are the company you keep," is a well-known saying that I'm sure most people have heard, and it's quite self-explanatory. People you associate with, including friends, significant others, acquaintances, and other personal relationships, reflect your character just as much as they reflect their own.
It's frequently presented as a caution from parent to child, encouraging smart selections about making friends. I would say that this is primarily for the benefit of parents who want their children to keep out of trouble. And, while it may be annoying to hear as a youngster, our parents are correct: hanging out with "troublemakers" or the "wrong crowd" increases your chances of getting into trouble.
The following excerpt is from the book “The Motivation Manifesto”, a book I read in the year 2018 -
The people we surround ourselves with either raise or lower our standards. They either help us to become the best version of ourselves or encourage us to become a lesser version of ourselves.
We become like our friends. No man becomes great on his own. The people around them help to make them great.
We all need people in our lives who raise our standards. Remind us of our essential purpose and challenge us to become the best version of ourselves. If we hang out with people who prefer going out and eating burgers, fries, and soda…guess what we will adopt a sedentary lifestyle and gain weight…..
But if you surround yourself with people who are interested in looking and feeling healthy…you guessed it, you will become more interested in your health and well-being. You become more confident, optimistic, and valuable when you are successful. Successful people prefer to associate with other successful people.
On the other side, if you surround yourself with individuals who drag you down, it's like a boat anchor. You're not going anywhere. They will be holding you back rather than propelling you ahead.
The people around you reflect your values, beliefs, and aspirations. To put it another way, you are guilty by association. It is critical to select the correct circle of friends and confidants. A group that pushes you. A group that makes wise choices. A group that pulls forth the best in each other.
The American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Jim Rohn rightly said that “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
Consider the individuals you are now surrounded with:
Do they assist you in achieving your objectives?
Do they genuinely want you to succeed?
Are they also successful?
Are they on the same path as you?
When you surround yourself with smart individuals, you enjoy the following advantages.
1. You will broaden your horizons.
Muscles only grow when they are stressed. The same is true for learning. You will learn more when you put your information to the test. You'll also learn more when you share your knowledge with others.
You will grow if you surround yourself with people who will challenge you and ask you thought-provoking questions. To reach your best potential, you should surround yourself with people who will keep you accountable and push you to be better.
2. You will develop better habits.
According to research, over 40% of people's regular activities are conducted in nearly similar conditions every day. Our lives are a set of habits that we have developed throughout our lives. Because we are on autopilot, changing habits is difficult. Some of the things we do every day go unnoticed. Habits are difficult to break, but they are critical to our success. Think about it in this way - ‘Do you have a circle of friends who help you improve your habits and point out your bad ones?’
3. You will improve as a person.
When you associate with people you aspire to be like, you are more likely to become like them. If you surround yourself with individuals who have qualities you admire and are open to discussing them, you will begin to develop similar qualities on your own.
"Tell me who you associate with, and I'll tell you who you are." ― German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
4. You will develop mental toughness.
You will inevitably face criticism as you become more successful. You'll need mental resilience to deal with criticism. You should strive for a good mindset every day to improve your mental toughness and stress management.
What you believe has an impact on what you achieve. Small victories foster mental toughness. Your daily choices shape your mental toughness. Small victories should be celebrated with your close circle.
The individuals with whom you spend the most time shape who you are. They decide which discussions and ideas get your attention. The activities you engage in or avoid. So, be choosy about who you decide to spend your everyday time with.