You Become Those Around You

Source: Brian 

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” -Jim Rohn 

You might think that you are an independently minded individual, but the truth is, you become who your friends are.

Hang out with under achievers? Spend time with people with bad habits?  Chill with the depressed? No matter how hard you try to fight it, you will begin picking up their darker sides. 

On the flip side, if the people you spend the most time with are driven, positive, encouraging, healthy, well balanced people, you will be become the best the human race has to offer. 

Looking at my own life, when I began hanging out with very driven friends in high school, my GPA skyrocketed.  If everyone at the lunch table is talking about organic chemistry, naturally you begin to chime in and sound smart.  If everyone around you is obsessed with getting into Sanford, Harvard, or UC Berkeley, you begin to aim higher. 

In terms of minimalism, if you hang out with people who are solely driven by consumerism and the American Dream, then it will be very difficult to resist the urge to consume.  If you are trying to save money, hanging out with friends who only want to go out for beers, watch 3D movies, and wear the newest fashions, it might be difficult to stick to you principles and goals.

Choose you friends wisely, they become you, and you become them.