"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." (Jim Rohn)
If you want to be successful, surround yourself with winners. When I first started writing for the Christian Courier, a fellow writer suggested that I join Facebook. I had resisted, thinking about the petty teenage infighting that can be a part of social media. However, I did relent. Now I have dozens of writer friends whom I learn from online. It was on Facebook that I learned about the CANSCAIP Writing for Children Contest 2016. While I did not win, I did make it to the second round and received valuable feedback about my manuscript.
In surrounding yourself with who you want to be, you do two things: First, you learn more about your profession or skill. Second, you see yourself in that role. Years ago, when I was teaching Core French in a Paris (Ontario) elementary school, I remember talking to other Core French teachers. I had always seen myself as a Core French teacher, not a French Immersion teacher. The consensus was that in order to be an Immersion teacher, you had to speak with a flawless French accent. However, one of my fellow Core teachers dared to apply for an Immersion position, and she got it. I thought: If she can do it, so can I. The following year, I applied for a Grade 1 class, and got the job. See yourself as who you want to be.
While it is important to seek out successful people on the road to success, don't forget to discriminate. Avoid the backstabbers. Look for those who will build you up, who celebrate your successes, not just their own.
"Surround yourself with those who want to become more, those who are striving to achieve something great, those who empower you and push you to be better, those who make you raise your standards to a higher level, and those who make you believe in yourself that you can achieve greatness." (http://awakenthegreatnesswithin.com/surround-yourself-with-winners/).
Chad Lewis, author of Surround Yourself with Greatness, wrote in his childhood journal: "My goal and quest is to surround myself with greatness...only greatness will penetrate the walls of my heart." He went on to a successful nine year career in the NFL. All of his blessings he attributes to his family and his faith (https://www.amazon.com/Surround-Yourself-Greatness-Chad-Lewis/dp/1629722626).
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