What’s Your Average?

According to Motivational Speaker Jim Rohn…

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

Top Five Challenge

Let’s assume that Jim Rohn is right.  How can you put his insight to work for you?Start with a pen and paper, or an equivalent electronic note-taking app. Make a list of your top five. Then ask yourself…

• Who among these people are dragging you down, holding you back or discouraging you from pursuing your dreams and ambitions?
• Who encourages, inspires, challenges or supports you?
• Who has little or no impact?

You might want to place pluses, minuses or zeros next to those five names.As you view your list, how do you compare yourself these people in terms of…

• Wisdom and Knowledge
• Personal Success and Happiness
• General Enjoyability
• Alignment with your personal values and beliefs

With that insight, you can ask…

Who’s Missing?

How should your list change?  Who are the people who you know (or should know) that could make your life more fulfilling if you could spend more time with them?  Are there diminishing influences with whom your relationship needs improving or perhaps eliminating?

The Flip Side

Does your name would appear are on others’ top 5 lists?  To what extent have you helped them to raise their average? What character would they place next to your name?  Are you a +, –,  or 0?In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson…

“The only way to have a friend is to be one.”