The first time I wrote about this subject was in 1976.

Still in college, I was building a small part-time multi-level marketing organization… (A little over a year later my wife and I were operating it as full-time business) It was an article for my “Energy Group Marketing Network” newsletter the “Zap”.

One of the biggest challenges I found to the “twenty somethings” who were my core market at the time, was the influence the people they associated with had on their decision making process. If their friends were negative about what they were doing, it was just a matter of time before they would fall by the wayside. The reality is, most people reflect the attitudes, opinions and beliefs of those they associate with.

Whatever your world view may be, you will naturally seek out those who support how you see things.

This is especially true of those people you consider to be a part of your “inner circle”. Even Napoleon Hill, talked about the importance of a “mastermind alliance” in his best selling book: “Think And Grow Rich”. Who you let influence you, will determine many of your attitudes, opinions and beliefs. We humans are social animals. In order to enable our ability to be social we create a series of common points of interest.

Change who you associate with, and you will find your attitudes, opinions and beliefs will also begin to change…because you may change your common points of interest.

I remember using this simple illustration back in 1976: “If you still associate with the group of people you did 5 years ago and you are not living the life you think you should be living… Then it’s time for you to change the people who influence you the most… You are a living example of the limitations they and you affirm with each other”.

Your day-to-day life is the current comfort zone you have accepted as your reality.

Those who most often populate your world become the lowest common denominator of your shared reality. You will always compromise in order to maintain a relationship.

The question is how much and on what will you compromise your true self?

-Bob Baran