Many people believe they are operating at their highest possible level yet when you look at the things they control, those they surround themselves with, and the standard to excellence they enforce on their own life, it is clear that something doesn’t match up. Let’s think for just a moment on friendship and the way that your peer group influences you for good or evil.
It has been said that when you pick your goals, you pick your friends. Once you determine to be a leader, and to aspire to excellence, those goals will begin to weed out friends and acquaintances that cannot tolerate the new you. Your excellence threatens them, it reveals untapped potential in their own lives and often that makes people uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, many people cannot tolerate the idea of outgrowing any “friend”, so they stay stagnant in their life. In essence, they are choosing unhealthy relationships over success. If the relationship is healthy it will allow you to grow, and it will grow with you. This is why so many people who are in recovery struggle: they refuse to release that their friendship were all based around the goal of medicating themselves with a substance, and as soon as that goal is taken away-the friendship is over.
It’s not just addicts, we all do this to some extent. What is the answer? Choose worthy, life affirming goals for yourself and invite others to go along for the ride. Be prepared to loose some friends, but be open to accepting new friends who share you goals. Don’t worry, it won’t be too long before you have a group of healthy people around you to share life with.
What are the goals you have in your life? What kind of friends do you have? Reflecting on those you surround yourself with, what does this tell you about your goals?