<Disclaimer if you enjoy the content you are about to read please “FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE”. Also, please share this with your family/friends and be sure to visit my home page and/or other categories for more excellent content>
This post has been revised and slightly updated from it’s original publication on January 1st 2017 – to appropriately reflect the current year, 2019; This along with an additional wrinkle added at the end that was not put in the original post.

From listening to a number of excellent Podcasts this past year, one – The Tim Ferriss Show; http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast/, a few of his lessons stuck with me in particular.
My biggest take away (in my own words) – ***”You are basically the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with” ***. In other words, those you spend the most time with, influence you the most. Choose wisely.
To flesh it out even more: Meaning My biggest takeaways/interpretations.
If there are certain goals you want to achieve in life and you are not quite there in some areas but doing great in other areas, take a look at the people you surround yourself with.
5 points to consider:
1- Are the people you spend the most time with in healthy relationships? IE – a good marriage/partnership, surrounded by friends that bring out the best in them.
2- Are the people you surround yourself with successful? This could be interpreted in a number of ways, so here are a few examples: Do the people you surround yourself with have financial security to a level they are good with? Are they living a lifestyle they find satisfaction and fulfillment in? Are they in a career they love or at least working on projects that they are really passionate about?
3- Do the people you surround yourself with work on themselves? IE – physical conditioning, spiritual and mental well-being, intellectual curiosity.
4 – Are the the people you surround yourself with, kind? IE -How forgiving are they of themselves? How forgiving are they of others? Do they look for the best in themselves and others?
5- Do you see yourself in the people you surround yourself with? Do you want to see yourself in them? Do you like what you see?
This is something (meaning the people I surround myself with) I’m going to pay very close attention to and be very pro-active with in 2019, I invite you to do the same.
-JPJ
***For the record Tim Ferriss would be the first to tell you he is not the original founder of this idea/rule! He actually discovered this concept as a teenager (as is described here in this article. https://www.businessinsider.com/tim-ferriss-average-of-five-people-2017-1.)
I’m presuming, based on the context of the article, that Tim Ferriss originally read it in one of Tony Robbins’ books (Tony Robbins one of the most pre-eminent self-help gurus in the world, today). And Tony Robbins learned of this rule through his mentor early in life, by motivational speaker and entrepreneur, Jim Rohn***.
So, if this is the first time you have heard of this concept, now at least you know a bit of the origins of it.

PS -If you enjoyed this post, and want to learn more about Tim Ferriss from my writings, I invite you to visit this piece to learn more about one of the most recent books he published – https://joshoffthepress.com/2017/01/26/the-5-books-i-have-gifted-the-most/.
I also invite you to visit this piece – https://joshoffthepress.com/2017/02/28/encyclopedia-of-the-podcasts-i-have-listened-to/ , to see a list of my favorite podcast episodes through early 2017, some of which have Tim Ferris prominently mentioned.
Please subscribe to this blog – all you have to do is hit the “Follow” link, and you can follow me/subscribe to this!
I am glad you re-found your balls cousin! Thank you for sharing this with me … I will follow!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love it all… Universal laws for happiness, love and success… Not one ounce of doubt… From a man who always had the right perspectives on happiness and what makes your smile infectious… Keep being you brother! Much love happiness health to you and your loved ones! Happy New Year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great Article Joshua! It made me take a look into my life to make sure the 5 people are closet to me are on the up and up. And they are!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will most likely spend time with my kids, family,and my community. Working on solutions and ideas to empower and improve our world.
LikeLike
Here are a couple cool links I found as I was doing additional research/edits for my update on this piece.
https://tim.blog/2017/12/03/the-answers-to-my-favorite-questions/
https://www.inc.com/marissa-levin/tony-robbins-and-michael-jordan-attribute-their-su.html
LikeLike