Check Who is Around

Look at the last five people who have sent you a text message.

Look at the people who are currently around you.

Who is there for you when you need them the most?

The level of success you have can be predicted by looking at the people you surround yourself with. Are you hanging out with people stuck in the past, that peaked in high school? Are you hanging out with people who talk about “what could have been?” Are you hanging out with people who are the first to make fun of any ideas you have, not choosing to offer their support or insights?

By answering all of these questions you can begin to paint a picture to yourself of the quality of defense you have for your own life. If you answered yes to any amount of those questions, you may need to increase the barriers to the fortress that is your life. The honest truth is that not everyone is going to support you. Not everyone is going to want you to succeed. Not everyone is going to be there for you when you are in need. Not everyone is going to want to succeed like you do. Take stock of who is in your life, who you can depend on, and reassess where and how you are valuing your relationships.

Avoid people who extinguish your fire. People who have no interest in finding fuel for the flames. People who want nothing more than to accept the current state of the slowly burning furnace. If you do not avoid them and let them in, you are more likely to sink down to their level than you are to elevate them to yours. Being different and motivated is not the ordinary thing to do. When you are around those who quench your flames, you are more likely to throw the towel in than continue burning strong.

Push to be around people who help you shine. People who want to shine themselves. People who seek to be different. People that have goals and aspirations to improve. By surrounding yourself with these types of people, your internal environment has to adapt to match the energy they are producing. These people are people who help throw logs and kindling onto your internal fire. They help to fan the flame of improvement and build the bonfires that cultivate your dreams and motivations. Being around these type of people help lead to massive combustion of progress.

Everyone does not have a right to be around you. Everyone does not have your dreams or aspirations. Choose to surround yourself with people who will help you grow, who will help you succeed. Treat them the same way. Cultivate these relationships and see the internal flames never diminish. Check who is around and go grab some logs. The fire is waiting.