The Secret to Success: Association
Have you ever thought about the most important factors of wealth? If you’ve ever picked up a book on wealth creation, you most likely already know the answer to the true secret behind becoming wealthy. Quite simply, it’s association. Did you know that if you take your five closest friends (the ones that you spend the most time with) and add up their incomes and take the average, you most likely come up with your current wage? It seems crazy, but it’s absolutely the truth! You spend time with some friends that make more money than you, and you also have friendships with those that make less money than you, but why is this true? Have you ever sat down and truly thought about it?
Don’t stretch your brain too much, the answer is fairly simple. It’s all about conversation and emotions! I have a few friends that didn’t graduate from college and they are great people, but when I converse with them, I can just tell that there’s a large gap of knowledge in comparison with my other more wealthy friends. And, don’t get me wrong, it’s not just a lack of institutional knowledge, it’s a misunderstanding of life and how the macro economy functions.
For example, when my lower income friends are struggling in their job and can’t find a better situation, they quickly give up and complain about the terrible economy. On the other hand, my wealthy friends don’t look at the doom and gloom of the economy, they see various opportunities that have presented themselves because of the current economic conditions. So naturally, my broke friends stay broke and my rich friends get richer. And, where do I sit? I’m still exactly in the middle because I’m getting too much negativity in my daily “conversation diet”. If I want to improve my wealth status in life, I need to be careful who I associate with.
Where Do You Live?
You may not realize it, but your neighbors may have a direct impact on your wealth status. If you choose to live in low income apartments, chances are that you’re not going to get a rosy outlook on life from your neighbors. If, however, you live in an executive suite (by the way, if you live in Canada, the executive suite in Calgary are excellent), you’ll be rubbing shoulders with people in high positions and have a positive spin on life! It will no doubt be a refreshing place to live.
Now, I want to be sure to put a disclaimer here. If you currently don’t have the funds to afford an executive suit, it wouldn’t be wise for you to put your money here. Do the best with what you have, and be sure that you stay responsible with your earnings.
In addition to the positive aura that will surround you in an executive setting, there is another benefit to surrounding yourself with wealthy individuals as well: networking. You may not be in the market for a job at the moment, but if you have a circle of friends that could quickly hook you up with a high-level job in the future, those are good friends to have. Don’t be afraid to ride the plane of success with your friend as the pilot. Even if you’re not flying the plane, you’re still heading toward success.