“…you are as good as the company you keep”

Is It Just ME, or do you, too, believe this to be true?

If you have read previous blogs of mine – and I sincerely invite you to – you may recall I reference and quote words of wisdom shared by my Dad; he always seemed to know the right thing to say.

Well, the title, above, is something my Dad believed very strongly in.  He urged his children and grandchildren to exercise good judgment in choosing those you “hang around with”.  He understood that those with whom you associate would eventually lead to how other associate you. 

Wisdom.

Today, I received the following, simple, yet thought provoking message:

CHOOSE CAREFULLY, indeed!

So, who do you aspire to be like?

What are you doing to put yourself in the company of the sort of person you wish to be most like?

This requires some thoughtful consideration, no doubt…

Look back on some of your relationships…why do some endure while others seem to just fall by the way-side for no apparent reason?

Relationships, like anything else have to have measurable ROI (return on investment) in order to continue to invest in them.  I am certainly not just talking about fiscally measurable benefits – though in business, this is certainly to be expected.  The ROI on a relationship can be measured in many ways, but remember, it’s not all about you. There is someone else in the game with you and that party should anticipate an ROI, as well.  The interesting thing is that it need not be a concurrent ROI or anything resembling the quid-pro-quo, but there must be something of value for both parties over the long term.  If not, relationships tend to die and, as hard as that may be to accept in the moment, it is the natural course of events. 

So, time marches on.  New relationships are born.  Some evolve.  Some go as fast as they came.  They all serve a purpose in their term; they all give way to new ones, they have all brought you to where you are.  Be grateful for them all.

Getting back on track, learn to sew your seeds of relationship-building where they have the greatest chance to take root, to blossom, and to serve you as best they can.  Be willing to play the same role for others. 

Choose carefully!

I look at it this way:  every year, I plant my garden.  Some of the prettiest blooms are annuals; they need to be uprooted and planted anew each year.  Some are perennials.  Not always as beautiful in the beginning; they take more work, but they last forever.  They are reliable; they come back every year.

Be a relationship an “annual” or a “perennial”, they both add beauty and enjoyment to the garden; they both serve a purpose, but they are not the same.

Choose carefully! 

       

In your garden of life, who do you choose to plant yourself near to grow roots, to bloom, to grow?  It take just a handful (5) blooms in your garden to become a beautiful one, an admired one, one that, in one way or another, adds value to your garden and draws others to want to be in it.

Choose carefully!

So, IS it just me, or do you, too feel you have 5 great people who you would be proud to be counted among.  You ARE only as good as the company you keep.

Choose Carefully!