The Law of Averages: Why Your Friends Matter

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Changing Your Life With The Law of Averages

The law of averages is the idea that over time everything will eventually work its way to equilibrium. When you think about it that means everything around you is becoming more average. This concept is really important when you think about who you spend your time with. Are your friends and family struggling to get by or are they successful? Depending on how you answered that question you should be able to reflect on what they’re doing and see how things are most likely going to be for you.

It’s important to understand that just because your friends and family act a certain doesn’t mean you have to do the same thing. It only takes one person to change your life. One person make a positive impact on you that pushes you in the right direction. Look at the people you spend your time with and ask yourself “Do I want to be like these people?” if the answer is “Yes” then you’re doing something right. If you answered “No” then it’s time we look at how the people around you impact your life.

How People Influence You

There are many ways that the people around you influence your life. Peer pressure is a really difficult thing to work around. If your friends and family are making certain choices it’s more likely that you will too. It’s hard to go against what the social norms are when it comes to your group. You can become an outcast and we are programmed to avoid becoming an outcast. What you need to remember is the choices you make can only truly affect you. Don’t let the choices of other influence you into doing something that doesn’t improve your life.

The more time you spend with successful people the more you will realize that success comes from the choices you make. If your friends are saving 10% of their income it is more likely that you will too. Start small and find one person that is a good influence on your life. Find someone that has the same goals, aspirations, and dreams as you. This person should be more experienced than you and can help you out. It only takes one person to change your life. Remember that your net worth will be based on your network.

Law of Averages

The law of averages is an important thing to understand. In the most basic form it states that over time things will become more similar. Earlier I mentioned that it means we reach an equilibrium. Both of these ideas are true. The law of averages can really make a difference in your life because you become like your friends. If your friends are successful you will be successful. If you friends watch every new movie you are more likely to watch every new movie.

Life likes to balance itself out. That means if you want to balance out higher or become above average you are going to need to do above average things. One of those above average things you can do is create a network of successful people to spend time with. If you surround yourself with success you will eventually become successful. This happens through a process of mimicry. Find the people that have successful habits and follow in their footsteps. Some of the habits will be difficult but others will happen naturally without you know. Remember it’s easier to change things one step at a time. Don’t go big and give up. Start small and pyramid your success into bigger success.

Help Others Achieve MoreTake Action

One way to help build your network is to help others. Now that you’re in the mindset of looking for successful people to help you, get out there and help others. Giving to others is one of the best ways to have others give to you. You don’t need to be the best at something to help someone learn. In reality you only need to be one step ahead of the person you’re teaching. Do what you can to help others and add value to their lives and it will not only grow your network but it will make you feel good about yourself. Feeling good about yourself is one step towards becoming more successful. You’re also building that network so you’re killing two birds with one stone!

No One Achieves Success Alone

Contrary to what most people believe success isn’t about being self made. Success is about surrounding yourself with people that can help you achieve more. The people you surround yourself with are everything. At any point in time someone you know may bring you the opportunity that changes your life. Don’t forget that you may be the person in someone else’s life that changes their whole world. Be social but know that you need to look for people that aspire to bigger things than what they have today. There is nothing wrong with big dreams!

Let’s Get Started

It’s time to get serious about your network and who you spend your time with. Here are 6 steps to improve your network so you can achieve more.

  1. Write down 3 traits of the person you want to become.
  2. Create a list with the 5 people you spend most of your time around.
  3. Write down the 3 most common traits of each person.
  4. Compare these 15 traits to the traits you want to have. If the traits don’t match decide if this person is helping you or hurting your dreams of becoming successful. If they are hurting your dreams mark them off. This doesn’t mean you have to drop all contact with them it just means that you are more knowledgeable about the situation.
  5. Now it’s time to find replacements for the people that you have marked off. This doesn’t need to happen quickly. Some great places to find successful people are Toastmasters meetings, Real Estate Investment Associations, networking events, or events related to you hobbies. It is easy to find these groups using the Meetup app.
  6. Now that you are working on growing your network, share this idea with other people that you think will benefit from meeting new people. You can never know too many people and you can never help too much.

Don’t forget that no one succeeds alone. The people around you are going to make all the difference. Find the best and eventually you will be the best!

The Magic of Thinking Big Review

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Thinking Big Matters

When you think big you will achieve more. Thinking big can start with the right choice of book. It can be difficult to find a good book if you aren’t already in the habit of reading regularly. I originally decided to read “The Magic of Thinking Big” because I had seen the name in multiple books and I had 2 mentors recommend it to me. I didn’t find this book on my own, someone shared it with me and now I want to share it with you.

How The Way You Think Makes a Difference

Your mind is a powerful thing. It dictates what you are going to do at any point in time. If you want to have a great life you need to start out by thinking in great ways. The person with positive thinking will have a much more positive life than the person that has negative thinking. If you want to achieve your goals, the really big goals, you are going to have to start thinking big.

The Magic of Thinking Big
The Magic of Thinking Big

David Schwartz gave us the book “The Magic of Thinking Big” because he realized how important it was to think big. In this book there are many chapters that can make a difference in your life. I picked 3 to summarize because I want you to get a taste for the book. These 3 lessons come from the first 30 pages of the book. Can you believe that it has over 300 pages and in the first 30 pages David Schwartz was able to create 3 life changing lessons? Now let’s take a look at those lessons.

Win Success by Believing You Can Succeed

Success starts with your mindset. When you think you can do something it is more likely to happen. Be optimistic about what you can achieve. Ask for more than you normally would and believe that you deserve it. Everything in your life is center around your mind and the way you think. Once you can believe you’re successful you will become successful.

Get Big Results by Believing Big

Believe you are worth more. Don’t let yourself get in the habit of thinking you are second best. If you do you will only get second best results. Go big and believe you deserve big results. You are the most important person in your life. Make decisions that show how important you are and get the results you deserve. Never settle for second best.

Plan a Concrete Success-Building Program

Success is built on the plan that you follow. You must create a plan that follows the steps and experiences of the successful people that came before you. Question how they have done it and what you need to do to replicate it. You are going to create a personal training program for yourself. Your goal is to continuously grow and pursue self-development. Seek mentorships, training, and insight that will guide you on your way to success.

About the Author

David J Schwartz
David J Schwartz

I’ve mentioned the author multiple times at this point but he has helped millions of people achieve more. David Schwartz wasn’t just a best selling author. He was a professor at Georgia State University. He also created his own company Creative Educational Services Inc. Dr. Schwartz was an amazing man that wanted to see more people succeed. Here are a few motivational quotes from Dr. Schwartz that you can apply to your life.

“Do what you fear and fear disappears”

“Think little goals and expect little achievements. Thing big goals and wing big success”

“How we think shows in how we act. Attitudes are mirrors of the mind. They reflect thinking”

Reflecting on Others Experience

As you can see David Schwartz was a firm believer that your mind controls your life. It can be hard to understand this at first because it is such a simple concept. The more you think about it the more you will realize that small choices make big impacts. The 3 chapters I shared with you are not enough to fully grasp the concept of Thinking Big but they are a great start. If you want to improve your life with the power of your own mind, I highly recommend picking up the book “The Magic of Thinking Big”. You won’t regret it, I know I didn’t!