“You are the average of the top 5 people you spend time with”
-Jim Rohn
We’ve all heard this quote from motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, but how true is it really? We were curious about this so we did a dive into the research and this is what we found. As it turns out your social circle does directly affect you and the kind of life you have, professional and personally. However, it is not limited to the top five people that you spend the most time with. It extends further than that. A study done published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed correlation of obesity to those within a social circle. For example, their results showed that if a friend of yours becomes obese than you have a 45% chance of gaining weight over the next 2-4 years. However, it can extend further than that. If a friend of the friend of your friend becomes obese you still have a 10% chance to gain weight as well. This is an important insight because it will allow you to look further out into your circle to examine it more detail. It’s also important to remember that the person you spend the most time with is yourself so your thoughts will always play an important role in your success and happiness. That being said, let’s stick with the social circle for the purpose of this article. So, how do you know if those around you align with that best version of yourself you’ll always be striving for? Here are some questions to ask yourself.
What kind of person do you want to be?
Who are the top 5 you spend time with now?
Do these people align with who you want to be?
Who are 5 people that embody these qualities you want?
This can be anyone dead or alive
How can you increase contact with these people?
The person, their work, or visualization
You can literally be fortune teller of your own life here as the people you spend time with elevate your life or bring it down. Hanging out with positive and productive individuals you too will become this way over time. And, make sure to take a look at their circles too since their friends have an effect on your life as well. Are those the kind of people that take responsibility for their lives and grow often? To become the best version of ourselves will require some work and time so it can be awkward at first. Remember to be patient with yourself but try to connect more often with these people to allow consciousness shifts in yourself. Create the version of you that you have always dreamed of!
