Surround yourself with great people.

Have you ever heard that one bad apple spoils the bunch? We’ll it’s a true for people as it is for fruit! The folks you choose to associate with matter. From the crowd you run with as a teenager to your friends at work and all the way up to your partner, the people you choose to spend your time with is one of the most important decisions you make. Growing up, I thought it was all about reputation; that if you were hanging with “the wrong crowd,” you would be linked with them. And in a sense, that is true. But its even more than that. Group-think and emotional intelligence are linked in a collective. Alone, a person may have a bad idea or decide to do something dangerous. And that would hurt the one. But, if they are in a group of similar individuals, he/she can suggest it becomes something they do together and bring down the whole. But the inverse is true as well. If you surround yourself with positive, well-meaning people who are acting in your best interest, your decision-making and emotional health will improve. There’s an old joke that says, if you want to be a millionaire, start hanging out with millionaires. My checking account balance can attest that I don’t know if that is true or not, but I can say that I surround myself with people who act in ways to make our community better and work to achieve an overall positive impact. And the types of projects we work on do just that. Seek out folks who are already the kind of person you want to be. Chances are, you’re gonna have a lot to talk about.