Evaluating Your Associations - Part 1

by Jim Rohn

If you were to evaluate the major influences in your life that have shaped the kind of person you are, this has to be high on the list: the people and thoughts you choose to allow into your life. Mr. Shoaff gave me a very important warning in those early days that I would like to share with you. He said, "Never underestimate the power of influence." Indeed, the influence of those around us is so powerful! Many times we don't even realize we're being strongly affected because influences generally develop over an extended period of time.

Peer pressure is an especially powerful force because it is so subtle. If you're around people who spend all they make, chances are excellent that you'll spend all you make. If you are around people who go to more ball games than concerts, chances are excellent that you'll do the same thing. If you are around people who don't read, chances are excellent that you won't read. People can keep nudging us off course a little at a time until finally, we find ourselves asking, "How did I get here?" Those subtle influences need to be studied carefully if we really want our lives to turn out the way we've planned.

With regard to this important point, let me give you three key questions to ask yourself. They may help you to make better analysis of your current associations.

Here is the first question: "Who am I around?" Make a mental note of the people with whom you most often associate. You've got to evaluate everybody who is able to influence you in any way.

The second question is: "What are these associations doing to me?" That's a major question to ask. What have they got me doing? What have they got me listening to? What have they got me reading? Where have they got me going? What do they have me thinking? How have they got me talking? How have they got me feeling? What have they got me saying? You've got to make a serious study of how others are influencing you, both negatively and positively.

Here's a final question: "Is that okay?" Maybe everyone you associate with has been a positive, energizing influence. Then again, maybe there are some bad apples in the bunch. All I'm suggesting here is that you take a close and objective look. Everything is worth a second look, especially the power of influence. Both will take you somewhere, but only one will take you in the direction you need to go.

It's easy to just dismiss the things that influence our lives. One man say's, "I live here, but I don't think it matters. I'm around these people, but I don't think it hurts." I would take another look at that. Remember, everything matters! Sure, some things matter more than others, but everything amounts to something. You've got to keep checking to find out whether your associations are tipping the scales toward the positive or toward the negative. Ignorance is never the best policy. Finding out is the best policy.

Perhaps you've heard the story of the little bird. He had his wing over his eye and he was crying. The owl said to the bird, "You are crying." "Yes," said the little bird, and he pulled his wing away from his eye. "Oh, I see," said the owl. "You're crying because the big bird pecked out your eye." And the little bird said, "No, I'm not crying because the big bird pecked out my eye. I'm crying because I let him."

It's easy to let influence shape our lives, to let associations determine our direction, to let pressures overwhelm us, and to let tides take us. The big question is, are we letting ourselves become what we wish to become?

In Part II we'll take a look at the three forms of disassociating from negative influences. Until then,

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

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This article was submitted by Jim Rohn, America's Foremost Business Philosopher. To subscribe to the Free Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine go to http://www.JimRohn.com. Copyright © 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Yahoo! News Search Results for influence Yahoo! News Search Results for influence THE INFLUENCE GAME: Toyota's powerful DC friends (Northeast Mississippi Daily... EDITOR'S NOTE - An occasional look at how behind-the-scenes influence is exercised in Washington. WASHINGTON ? Toyota has friends in high places in Washington, including some of the very people now investigating the Japanese automaker. Gallery exhibit explores classical influence on arts (Madison Eagle) ?New Classicism,? exploring the influence of classical Greek and Roman ideas on contemporary artists, is the theme of the latest exhibition at the Therese A. Maloney Art Gallery located in the Annunciation Center on the campus of College of St. Elizabeth, 2 Convent Road, Morris Township. ANALYSIS: Could a foreign government influence US elections? (EARTHtimes.org) Washington - President Barack Obama unleashed a media firestorm over proper manners last month when he slammed a US Supreme Court ruling that opens the floodgates for companies - and possibly foreign governments - to influence US elections. Obama r... THE INFLUENCE GAME: Toyota's Powerful DC Friends (ABC News) THE INFLUENCE GAME: Toyota has friends in high places in Washington, but are they enough? Washington - United States - Toyota - Recreation - Autos Celebrating Black History Month: Education an important part of resident's li... Black History Month was established in 1976 to recognize the African American race and celebrate the impact it has made in history. The Katy Times will be featuring local African Americans who have been an influence on our community. Heartache by the Numbers: Twitter & Influence Poll (ZDNet) My bud and CRM thought leader Brent Leary posted on the fallacy of assuming the number of Twitter followers equals real influence in any way early last week. This got me to thinking. What do you all think of the level of influence that a tweeter has? So I devised this rather unscientific poll and really would like you to answer the poll and provide some feedback in comments on your choice. I ... CIO warned to keep IT spending high to retain influence (Computer Weekly) A CIO has revealed that he will lose his informal membership of an unofficial high-spending, high-influencing club within government if he cuts his department's IT budget too much. Newsfeed display by CaRP