Who do you hang with?

I read somewhere that your income will be the average of the five people you spend the most time with. I don't know whether it's true or not, but I like to take it a step farther. Your level of success mirrors that of the people around you. So if you hang out with really successful people, you rise to the top with them. And if you hang out with losers, you sink, too.

I'm not suggesting you immediately dump all your less successful friends. But do take a look at who you spend time with. Are they people full of energy and passion who want to make things happen? Or are they whiners and complainers, stuck in dead-end jobs, unemployed, in bad relationships, and not trying hard to change the status quo?

If it's the latter--okay, it wouldn't hurt you to cultivate some new friends. Seek out the people with attractive energy--people who motivate you to do better. As for your old friends, you don't have to cut them off. But you can try to lift the loser mood by being upbeat and optimistic and passionate yourself. They'll either catch your fever and move up with you, or they'll drift away. Yes, sadly, some people deliberately surround themselves with other slackers so they won't look so bad by comparison. So if you adopt a winner attitude, they'll seek out different friends who can wallow with them in misery.

Energetically,
Kara