“Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions, small people always do that. But the really great make you feel that you, too, can be great” Mark Twain
A single fleet of naval ships consists of large aircraft carriers and small combats boats and everything in between. In order for a fleet to be effective in combat (and not crash into each other), they have to remain in a particular battle formation. They must remain in this formation even when traveling long distances. In order for all the ships to keep their formation, they can only travel as fast as the slowest boat in the fleet.
Similar to the speed of a fleet being limited to the slowest boat, it is often the people we surround ourselves with that hinder us from excelling. Look at your circle of friends and ask yourself: has my growth been limited because of their influence or opinion?
If your friends eat poorly and don’t exercise, it will be extremely difficult to stay in shape. If they are lazy at work and believe they are victims of their supervisors, how will they feel about you working your tail off to get a promotion? If they believe education is a waste of time, where else will you get the motivation to finish school? I don’t believe it’s their intention to limit you, but their negativity has an effect. You must decide if their company is worth the limitations they place on you.
Fortunately, there is a good side to “peer pressure.” If your friend group includes positive and motivated people, their influence will push you in the right direction. If you express a desire to grow, good friends will encourage you to be the best version of yourself. These are the ones worth keeping.
Thank you,
Rogelio H. Charles