Motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” This means that the people we surround ourselves with can have a huge impact on our lives. Stop for a moment and think: who are the five people you spend the most time with? So, who are they? Are they people who are lifting you up, or pulling you down?
What is your life building towards, and where do you want to go? It’s important to surround yourself with people who have been where you want to go. They can show you the way. Not just people who are positive and “yes men”, but people who will push you. That will point out your blindspots. Like a good football coach would. Learn from them, ask questions, and allow them to challenge you. When you are pushed, stretched, squeezed — and you persevere, you realize a new level, a new depth, of what you’re capable of. This, in turn, opens new doors and opportunities that you may not have seen before.
Becoming the person you were created to be takes time, effort, and a willingness to submit yourself to God, authority, others, and to the process. God is interested in your character.
There no shortcuts or “life hacks” to the development of your character.
It takes humility to recognize that you can’t do it alone and that you need help (James 4:6). Iron sharpens iron. You weren’t created to do this alone, and we all need men in our lives who will sharpen us, and men that we can then sharpen.
Character is a legacy you impart to others. So that also means, that others are imparting their character to you, right now. That’s the significance of who you choose to surround yourself with.
Nothing happens without taking intentional action. Take a step today that will be a building block for tomorrow. There are great things inside of you, things that need to be cultivated, sharpened and drawn out of you, and that happens by surrounding yourself with people who pull you up and draw those great things out of you.
Questions to Consider
- Who are the five people I spend the most time with, and how do they influence me?
- What is my life building towards, and who are the people that have been where I want to go?
- Am I surrounding myself with people who push me out of my comfort zone and challenge me to be better?
- How can I choose humility and a willingness to submit to God, authority, and others, in order to develop my character?