Quick Takes:
- Eat your ego for breakfast
- Offer support of other people’s passions
- You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with
We’re going to jump right into the thick of things, even if that’s not your style, let’s just pretend it is for now. Do people see you as someone that thrives off being “above” the person next to you? Or, do people see you as someone who encourages others to work toward their life goal? Do you seek to rise above those surrounding you, or do you seek rise with them?
Regardless if you obtain the self-awareness to realize where you fall into one of these categories, other people notice how you carry yourself. I believe it’s very beneficial for us to take the time to think about this, and hopefully discover the character we portray. Although I can’t say how I receive each and every one of you because there is a screen between us, I can definitely express how I perceive this part of my own character. However, this isn’t supposed to be a way to boast about myself, but more of a way to encourage you to realize possibly something you haven’t before. This has the full intention to let you visualize how we should positively encourage those striving toward their passion and highest desires.
Striving To Support
There are many people that have this mindset that in order to be successful you have to be better than the person next to you. It’s thought that you have more drive, a higher level of knowledge, a bigger audience, an established skill set, etc. Well, yes, this is true. It’s true if you want to reach success the difficult way, on your own. However, if you eat your ego for breakfast and open your mind to the some of the possibilities attainable when you collaborate and support those around you, I think you’ll be surprised.
You see, unfortunately, I was someone who always fell into that realm of individuals. I was someone who decided to never eat their ego for breakfast. Instead, I always had eggs and let my ego carry me through my day. But on a serious note, it got the absolute best of me. As a self-proclaimed “creative,” this vision of success is unhealthy. This vision of how to be successful was actually making me unsuccessful. Surprising? I thought so, until recently. After an in-depth conversation with a close friend, it was apparent that always trying to compete against each other was only causing a setback. Â It wasn’t the “my work is better than yours” mentality that was going to allow us to rise above one another. It was having the mentality to fully support each other’s passions that would drive each other’s direct success.
So, let’s go more into that, more into the positives, more into the aspect of rising together. As I become more invested in my passions of photography and writing, I have begun to realize how important it is to utilize those around you and how much we can feed off of their support. It is a two-way street, whether you are the one receiving the advice, or the one giving the advice, both parties feel a sense of gratitude. A sense of gratitude that drives us further in our passion, a sense of gratitude that allows us to feel the motivation needed to reach the success that we have only imagined. I have begun to embody that direction when I come across someone with a similar drive in relation to a passion. If one enjoys something so much that it gives them life, then why do we feel the need to make it seem that we are above them and are unable to support whatever it is they want to achieve?
What Are You The Average Of?
In addition to making sure we offer support to others, it is also important that we look at the people we surround ourselves with. The people we live with, laugh with, adventure with, the people we call our close friends. Are they individuals that are going to offer the same support and bring valuable knowledge to the table? I hope so. If we surround ourselves with people with similar goals, whether short-term or long-term, it is more likely we will achieve our highest desires. Think about who you spend time with each and every day. Do you sort of feel like you represent qualities and values that they hold? Do you sort of feel like you’re the average of all of them combined? If you didn’t before, I’m sure you do a little more now. Because after all, they do say you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
With that being said, it is important you spend time with people who hold similar values and ambitions as you wish to portray. Or, on the contrary, surround yourself with people that attain qualities or skills you wish to gain. The people around us could possibly be our greatest learning tool if we take the time to realize what they have to offer. So, don’t be afraid to surround yourself with those that may have a large skill set than you do. Because ultimately, we can always learn from those in order to flourish our current state of knowledge. What I am trying to tell you, what I am trying to encourage you to accept from my train of thought, is the importance of those you surround yourself with. Whether you want to hear it again or not, you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
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Recently, there has been something that has become a prominent part of my life. There is something that helps me drive through the tough times and encourage others to love life. It is as simple as the word “positivity.” Embodying a more positive character and portraying it to others has only benefited me and those around me. I have felt more energy when it comes to chasing my passions and dreams. I have been able to make more connections within photography and writing that have been unfolding to things bigger than I could imagine. So, be positive, support those around you, and encourage people to follow their passions. Ultimately, just love live and keep livin’ it.
