In high school chemistry, we learned that adding several new chemicals to an existing one could create a dramatic effect. In fact, the surrounding substances can literally change the original into a completely new form of matter.
The same holds true for you and those you surround yourself with. If you regularly hang out with ambitious people who want to drive their careers forward, you will achieve more. On the other hand, if you squander your time with lazy deadbeats, your own performance will plummet.
Many have suggested that your net worth is likely the average of the five people you’re closest to. The conclusion is that those around us profoundly influence us. Whether or not this hypothesis is entirely accurate, the underlying point is spot on. Like chemicals in a lab, we take on the distinct properties of those who enter our sphere.
If your work environment is hostile and combative, you will likely bring those same traits to your family life. If your best friend is highly inquisitive, your own curiosity will soar. If your peers are competitive athletes, you’re much more likely to get in shape and care about your health.
The human experience is fluid, and we’re all in a constant state of evolution. If you want to craft a certain life, surround yourself with people who have similar plans. Likewise, contemplate the impact that you’re having on others. Do you inspire or deplete? Build or destroy?
As you embark upon your journey for the New Year, think carefully about the people in your life. If you want to upgrade your situation, it may be time to upgrade your friends, colleagues, and peers. Choose to surround yourself with positive, successful people and you’ll end up embracing those qualities yourself.
It turns out that osmosis applies to lot more than just chemicals.