Whoever influences us throughout our lives will have a huge impact on what we achieve or fail to achieve in life. Whether you believe this or not, there are too many supporting facts to show that this is, in fact, undeniably true.

There are some influences that we have to accept and we cannot or cannot change. We have the influences from an early age of our parents; While we hope that these influences are good and beneficial, it is not inconceivable that they could be the other way around and lead us down a path of habit-forming conditioning. This can also apply to our early education, and by the age of nine, certain teachings and principles are accepted as the norm. In fact, because they come from an accepted form of great influence; that is to say, the teacher (the system), we never think of questioning them.

In these early days of our youth, we make friendships that can last a lifetime, but we will form many alliances before we reach maturity of adulthood. The friendships we make continue throughout our working lives and, as in our school days, certain relationships and influences seem to be more imposed than if we had chosen them ourselves. Some of these influences can have a beneficial and lasting effect on our lives, while others, if we allow them, can become negative and destructive.

It is this influence by association that has led us to the path we are on today. It is a path that we have chosen mainly for ourselves and accepted by the majority. The broader path and the one that very few people take is one of their own choosing and what will bring them ultimate success and achievement. We begin to surround ourselves with the people who will take us there and the difference is that this influence by association is now our choice.

The people we partner with will ultimately influence and determine our future. If you have a nine-to-five job and socialize with friends who are in exactly the same position, do you honestly hope to be financially independent and successful? On the other hand, if we isolate ourselves from our co-workers when our shift is over and surround ourselves with successful people and begin to read and listen to how to become one and the same, don’t you think this influence by association will? be much more productive and beneficial.