![Average of five blog](/assets/blogImages/average-of-five-blog.jpg)
You’ve probably heard this phrase before: “You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most.” (Often attributed to Jim Rohn.) Your environment plays a big role in who you become in life. And a key part of your environment is who you surround yourself with.
Do you ever feel like you say a word or phrase more often because of someone you’re frequently around? Or maybe you start watching a show or reading a book because your friend is doing the same?
We are undoubtedly influenced by who we spend the most time with. If that’s true, then we should consider what type of people we should spend our time with.
John Maxwell offers a perspective in The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth when he says we should spend time with “...people with integrity. People who are positive. People who are ahead of us professionally. People who lift us up instead of knocking us down. People who take the high road, never the low. And above all, people who are growing.”
Our environment can either provide the space for us to continue growing or it can hold us back. It is important to assess where we currently are and where we want to be.
Is your current environment indicative of where you want to be?
Sometimes, in reflecting on this, we realize that change is needed if we want to get to where we want to be. We often don’t realize how much influence our current environment has on us until we step back and look at things carefully.
If you need to make changes in yourself and your environment, don’t dwell on your past. You can’t change it. Don’t worry about your future. You can’t control it. Focus on the current moment and what you can do now.
John Maxwell, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth
So, here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- What is my vision for my life?
- What is my vision for my work?
- What is my vision for the relationships in my life?
Take some time today to consider who you spend the most time with. How does your answer align with or support your answers to the three questions above?
Significant growth will not occur in your life until you are continually challenged in your environment.
John Maxwell
Opening photo by Kimson Doan on Unsplash
![Photo of Inda Deleon](/assets/coachImages/headshot-11.jpeg)
Written by Inda Deleon
Related Content
![Power of reflecting](/assets/blogImages/power-of-reflecting.jpg)
Article
The Power of Reflecting
How often do you slow down and take the time to reflect on how things are going at work? Odds are good that it’s not as often as you’d like. It is easy to get…
![](/assets/coachImages/_100x100_crop_center-center_none/laura-headshot.jpg)
Laura Sue Johnson
![Cheering for others](/assets/blogImages/cheering-for-others.jpg)
Article
Cheering for Others
There are few things in this life that get me more excited than cheering for others. It is one of the simplest things we can do for people around us, and yet,…
![](/assets/coachImages/_100x100_crop_center-center_none/laura-headshot.jpg)
Laura Sue Johnson
![Happy at work](/assets/blogImages/happy-at-work.jpg)
Article
The Importance of Healthy Work Culture
When we set out to build a business, we are often focused on and passionate about a specific product, mission, or service. As business grows, so does our team.…
![](/assets/coachImages/_100x100_crop_center-center_none/laura-headshot.jpg)
Laura Sue Johnson