Choose your friends wisely. I hope you were fortunate enough to have parents who told you this regularly. Even still you most likely have made some less than stellar choices when it comes to who you have hung out with. Don’t worry about it too much. It’s these experiences that give us the ability to choose more wisely in the future.
The truth is that we become who we surround ourselves with. I’ve seen it. I’ve experienced it. Most of the time I’ve appreciated it. Sometimes, though, I’ve regretted it.
While it is true that we become who we surround ourselves with, it is not only for friends in a social setting. We become who we surround ourselves with professionally and athletically as well. Always choose coaches and colleagues who align with your values. For example, here at Championship Martial Arts we focus on teaching and developing life-skills such as discipline and confidence over self-defense and killer instinct. Why? Because we believe that while the ability to incapacitate an attacker is important, the chances of needing to use this skill for most of us are small. However, one only needs to spend a day in public or on social media to see that every person can use more discipline and confidence daily. That means that we are not for everyone, and I am proud of that. When you try to be everything for everyone you end up being for no one.
While it is important to choose your workplace and activities by those who align with your values, it is perhaps more important to choose those who align with your biggest dreams. You can’t get there on your own, and if you can then you are dreaming far too small. Along the way to your wildest dreams you will need three important groups of people. If you are lacking any one of these three you will find it difficult to reach your full potential.
A mentor – Someone who has achieved this dream already.
A guide – Someone who is currently doing what you desire to do.
A support system – Friends and colleagues who are chasing the same dream.
Assuming you have the capacity and drive to reach your goals, if you have all three of these in place it is just a matter of time before your dreams are your new reality. If not, then it is time to make some difficult changes. Just as a caterpillar must struggle to build and eventually leave a cocoon if it desires to evolve to something better you must do the same. Whether you need a mentor, a guide, or a support system it is definitely time to find one. Make this a priority. You will not regret it.
