Are We Really the Average of the Five People We Spend Time With?

Some people say “you are what you eat,” but think about another concept– “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” a quote by Jim Rohn, a motivational speaker and self-help guru. The theory relates to the law of averages but the idea is that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. It suggests that if you want to become more successful or better yourself then seek and spend time with individuals that already have proven success.

I don’t think the theory suggests that we abandon our current circle of friends or associates but rather that if you aspire to be more successful at something then surround yourself with experts or someone that has already experienced success in that area. For example, if you really want to propel your real estate career to the next level seek out those co-workers or associates that you consider successful and spend some time with them to learn about what they did to further their career. Set an appointment and ask questions or join trade organizations they are involved with so that you can network with them and other successful peers.

If you are a positive person and your glass is half full, do you find that you are surrounded by mostly positive people? And do you find that if negative people are close by that it can affect your mood or create a more toxic environment for everyone around you? Be aware of what’s happening around you and evaluate it out for yourself. I think we can be influenced by the people that we spend the most time with so it makes sense to find others that you’d like to aspire to be more like and spend time with those “like- minded” people—whatever it is that we want the “like minded” to be!