Read this and then pay attention!

I want you to find the people that will change your life.

You heard it right. Some of them may already be in your life, some may not. Finding the right people to support you is not an easy task and it is one that you must take seriously if you want to make that change and achieve all those things you have been thinking about – all the way from starting that business, taking that holiday, applying for that job; through to making that big decision, going on a healthy lifestyle regime, having a kinder, warmer approach to raising your kids.

Look, we all have goals and we all want to achieve a lot right? But it is who you spend time with that will determine the likelihood of your success. Let’s look at two scenarios – millionaires versus those struggling to manage money and runners versus couch-potatoes.

You’d be surprised at how many people are unable to manage their finances well – this goes all the way from millionaires to those living below the breadline. I should say that I have lived below the breadline and while it isn’t easy you can just about do it when you manage your money well. In both these groups, they are surrounding themselves with the wrong kind of people.

Everyone knows someone who is struggling financially. We all do and we have all been there at some point. It’s just when you constantly remind yourself of the ‘struggle’ you are feeding that message to your brain and thus you will find it really hard to adopt a different approach. When your friends, your work colleagues, the articles you read in magazines, the blog posts you go through online, the messages you see in your Facebook feed are all saying the same thing ‘I’m struggling financially’ some of it will rub off onto you and you will adopt that behavior.

This is what management consultants call group think, and while in a few situations it’s helpful – in most it’s a disaster.

So what do you do? Surround yourself with different people. You know there are four types of environment that you can master – your emotional, physical, external and psychological. When you work out how you can master these environments and make the changes that are necessary then your approach to life changes. And that change is fundamental to what happens next.

So if you need to change your ‘friends’ on Facebook, do it. If you need to find new friends because the old ones are not where you want to be then become a social butterfly and get some new friends. Whatever it takes do it because the price to pay is too huge – it is your life!

We are all living a life – we are breathing, functioning, getting stuff done. But is that enough? I say no. I say that we should enjoy every moment that we have on this earth and we do it by surrounding ourselves with the right people so we have the right attitude.

Don’t always think you are the smartest person in the room. You are the smartest if you are the least knowledgeable because then you can learn from everyone. Get it?

Let’s now look at runners. I use this example because regardless of whether you run or know anything about running you can relate to the concept of someone running versus someone who does no exercise (couch-potato). There are very few people in the world like Usain Bolt who can have a McDonalds for breakfast and still go and crush it in the Olympics! Look at who he surrounds himself with. Usain trains with the world’s best runners and when they train they are at work and boy do they work hard! I remember when I was at work and I had a small team of people working on a disruptive project. The support we gave to each other was incredible and we all learned and grew unbelievably. That is what happens when you surround yourself with the right kind of person. When you are with couch-potatoes you are more likely to be one, and when you are surrounded by Olympic runners you are more likely to be one!

Please take a moment to think about who you spend time with. This concept applies to all genders, people of all time, race and religion. There is a parable in all cultures that basically says ‘you are the sum of the people you surround yourself with.’

So, find the ones who will change your life. What is it you want to do? Find someone who knows how and befriend them. What do you want to learn? Find an expert in that arena and become their friend.

And what is wonderful about the time we live in is that there are no excuses. You do not need to be physically mobile, you don’t need to travel anywhere. You just need to want to do it. You can find friends on forums, Facebook groups as well as meetups or in free events. You can ask questions of your current friends and discover their hidden talents to. It’s all about saying, ‘OK. I have people around me that are supporting me and will help me to grow in whatever area of life I want to develop and grow in.’

Do not hold yourself back. Go on… be superhuman and do something different! Be you!