Who are you spending your time with?

It’s been said that we become the five people we associate with the most. I first heard this about 9 months ago. Boy was that an “Ah-Ha” for me. Or actually, a great big “DUH” I couldn’t believe I didn’t see it before. Maybe it was just the wording.

Take just a few seconds and right now and name off the top 5 people you spend the most time with throughout your day.

This includes not only friends and family but co-workers as well. Are these people positive, uplifting, fun, cheerful, goal oriented people? Or do they suck the energy completely out of you, with complaints and negativity?

Now go to a time when things were really going well for you, your job, your relationships, anything, just a time in your life when you were feeling really great! Who were the top 5 people in your life at that time?

Do you see the connection yet? Now do the opposite. Go to a time when things weren’t so hot, maybe it was family issues, money, business opportunities were going south, a time when you were just having a string of “bad luck”. What people were in your circle of influence then?

Fact of the matter is we can’t always escape some of the people in our lives, like our co-workers. Even our dearest, best intentioned family members and be a drain without realizing it.

One thing you can do is, look outside your immediate five. Where else can you find positive, supportive people with similar interests as yours?

Social networking is a great place to start and it really doesn’t take up too much extra time. You can go online, Facebook, Linked-In, Myspace, and Twitter are among just a few places where you can meet like minded people with similar lifestyles and professional goals. Want to actually have face to face interaction with others? It’s as easy as checking your local newspaper’s Community Events Calendar. You’ll find a number of free events you can attend. Local service organizations are always looking for new members. Toastmasters is a great place to meet others and learn a valuable skill as well. If you’re in a larger city you can try BNI or Meet In.

The next time you feel yourself slipping into a slump it might be a good idea to take a look at the influences closest to you. Until next time…

~Brenda

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