Originally Published at | If you begin, you win! www.thugstart.com You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with! As a kid, my mom always told me to make right kind of friends. Whether those were in my school, or my dance class, or even the bunch of friends with whom I played. But it wasn’t until I was in my early twenties that I really understood what she was trying to tell me. Life may not always be as easy as we all want it to be, and it is during those times that the people who are around you matter the most. The people with whom you tend to spend most of your time will be responsible either for your growth or your downfall. And it is not that hard to know whether the people you hang out with are your support system, or are simply dragging you down to your worst. If you get stressed out pretty often, or if you cry your eyes out over some fights, then you are probably spending far too much time with individuals who are responsible for adding unnecessary drama to your life. These are the kind of people with whom you get the feeling that your opinion is not valued, your ideas are worthless, and you can only see the negative side of you. You might debate over this fact that perhaps it was just a bad day, or maybe you were going through some rough times in your life, which all may be true, but if the scenario does not change in few days, then you know the right answer. “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with” That is a quote by , who is a well-known business person, a motivational speaker, and a self-help guru, and the quote is true to a great extent. The people around us have an immense influence over the way we think and act, which ultimately defines how successful we will become. Take this as an experiment for yourself where you make a list of 5 people with whom you spend most of your time with, and then study your behavior as against to these people. You will notice that most of your habits, your thinking and the way you conduct your day are similar to these people. It has happened to me so many times that I have selected the same kind of dress that my best friend has chosen for herself. It sure might be a coincidence, but when I ask her why did she pick that particular dress, I usually get an answer which is very close to mine. Jim Rohn No matter what you call these bunch of people, maybe they are your clan, your friends, your network, or your family, you need them by your side, and so you must make sure that this small group of people is the one who will be responsible for lifting you higher. Therefore, make a promise to yourself that from now on you will spend more time with people who are nice, kind, smart, like-minded and most importantly those who will never hurt you in any way. Be with people who reflect the qualities that you want in yourself. If you want to be a good speaker, then be with someone who is a great speaker himself. If you want to be someone who is liked by all, then be with those who are known for their likable qualities. Let this close group of people, whether they are your family members or your friends, be the ones who are always happier than you are in your victories. People you love, respect, admire and those about whom you are proud of, are the ones who will make you smile on a gloomy day. They will not only challenge you to be a better person but will also call out your bullshit when it is needed. So the bottom line here is that people around you matter, and they play a significant role in shaping the person who you will become. So don’t be with people who suck the happiness out of you, but be with those who are willing to struggle alongside you to make you reach to the top. If you liked this and want more: Do me a solid ❤ Heart it, 💬 comment on it, and/or follow me 😀 Also, if you would like to read more captivating stuff on the topics of entrepreneurship, , social media, leadership, , innovation and venture capital via my regular posts then please click ‘Follow’ and feel free to connect via , , and . marketing technology SlideShare Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Please go ahead and ThugStart — that’s my awesome blog! Don’t miss this one please! P.S. here are my other . Articles on Medium

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