“You are the same today that you are going to be five years from now except for two things: the people with whom you associate and the books you read.” – Charlie “Tremendous” Jones.
I love this quote by Charlie Jones. It is so true. No two things affect our success more than the people we associate with and the books we read. If you surround yourself with negative people who complain about everything they will sap your energy and motivation and you will become like them.
If you surround yourself with successful people who talk about vision, overcoming obstacles, and achievement, they will energize you and motivate you to succeed. I don’t know who originated the thought but many have expressed it. It goes something like this: If you look around at your group of friends and you are the most successful, smartest of the bunch, than you need a new group of friends.
To put it another way, to be truly successful in life you need to surround yourself with three types of people. You need a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy. You need a Paul in your life, someone who is more experienced, more successful, a mentor or life coach who can help you achieve your full, God-given potential. You need someone who will push you, encourage you and inspire you to greater heights.
You also need a Barnabas, a peer, someone to travel this journey with. A Barnabas is a fellow soldier in the battle. He is someone who can pick you up when we stumble and someone you can help up when he stumbles.
Finally, you also need a Timothy, a younger person you can invest in, someone you can be a Paul to. Having a Timothy allows you to give back into someone else’s life. It gets your focus off of yourself and on to helping others. I have found in my life that it is by helping others that I really grow the most.
As for the books you read, I have never been a big reader myself. In the past the only regular reading I have done is to read my Bible. I also read an occasional business or self-improvement book and those were usually audio books. As I have learned the value of reading (that includes listening to audio books) I have slowly tried to increase the amount of reading I do each year. I still have a long way to go, but I have found that the more I read, the more I learn, and the more focused I become on achieving my goals.
The average person reads only one or two books a year. So you can become above average and be better informed than most people around you simply by reading more than two books a year. I have set a goal to read one book a month. I also have subscribed to several magazines that I will be reading throughout the year. My reading list will still be primarily the Bible, business and self-improvement books, but I will be reading more of them in specific areas that will help me reach my goals.
I encourage you to take a look at these two areas of your life: the people you associate with and the books you read. Are they helping you reach your life goals or are they stumbling blocks. Are the people in your life encouraging you to achieve your best, or are they joy suckers who discourage and hold you back? Maybe a change is in order.
What about the books you read? Are you reading books that breed discontent in your life, or are you reading things that inspire and encourage you to be successful and reach your God-given potential? Do you read your Bible regularly and base your life’s values and goals on God’s wisdom? Examine this area of your life and make whatever changes are needed to get on the path of success.
This week, take a look at the people you associate with and the books you read and ask yourself, “Are they helping me grow and change, or will I be the same five years from now as I am today because of them.”
Helping you press on toward the prize,
Life Coach Ken
Helping you live life abundantly