Power of Association

Am surprised to see this post in a swimming blog but nonetheless it applies not only in swimming but to life in general as well. Below is written by Shelly Taylor Smith, a 7-time World Champion and 5-time winner of the mighty 48km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim.

I was about to delete the email with the post below as I was cleaning up my Inbox when I decided to sample one of the mails. Good thing I clicked on the 'right' mail or was it fate?


The most profound influence from the "outer world" is most certainly OTHER PEOPLE.

The people you allow into your life and who you spend the most time with, are the greatest external factors to the direction your life will take. Yes, external influences are that powerful.

It is known that you will be the combined average of the 5 people you spend the most time with; you will have the combined lifestyle, health practices, thinking processes, expectations and income.Think about it. Whatever is consistently entering your experience ends up becoming your reality.

Similarly, whoever is consistently in your experience is bringing dominate thoughts, attitudes and actions to your reality.

Who we spend our time with determines what conversations dominate our attention and the observations, attitudes and opinions we are repetitively being introduced to.

Eventually, we start to eat what they eat, talk like they talk, read what they read, watch what they watch, treat people how they treat people, even dress like they dress and think like they think.

All the while this may not even be a conscious transition.Your associations don't shove you in a direction; they nudge you ever so slightly over time.

The take-away here is to form a team around you that will help you achieve your goals. Try to be in their circle, befriend them, or get someone to introduce you to them. Get someone or have a friend who is an 'expert' to help you in the following areas: health, finance, career, interests, travel, family, etc.

Thanks to Swim Smooth Blog

Benefits of Education and Specialization

Some posts in Economix about the above topic

1. Correlation of a country's educational investment and GDP. The higher investment in education the greater the economic growth. Typically an extra year of schooling increases earnings from 6 to 14 percent.

2. Specialization brings more income and productivity to a person.
The advantages and disadvantages of specialization in the adult world are readily seen in the medical field. Research has shown, and pay scales confirm, that highly specialized medical doctors are more productive – make better diagnoses and fewer mistakes – than do general internists and general practitioners.

Who am I meant to be?

As my previous post has mentioned, asking who we are meant to be is one of the most difficult questions one faces in his lifetime. It's not that we couldn't really find out what our true calling or purpose is but we are most of the time, if not always, compromised by trying to please others, trying to be better off than others, trying to figure out how financially secure we must be, coping with our insecurities, etc.


After taking the quiz on O Magazine, below is my striving syle. This validates the strengths I found I have before.


YOU ARE STRIVING TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE
You are an intellectual: As a leader, you're often ahead of your time. As an employee, you try to surpass the competence level of peers, even managers. Incisive and curious, you're driven to deeply understand how things work. But that's things, not people. Oh, your family and friends are important; it's just that you don't need to spend hours engaging with them. Social validation isn't your goal—you're secure enough in your cerebral pursuits.

What to watch out for: When you can't find a way to be the expert, you may withdraw or simply withhold information, which can make you seem smug or arrogant. If you feel yourself retreating into your own world, seek a friend's help to pull you back. Also balance your cerebral tendencies through physical activities like jogging, hiking, or dance.

Looking ahead: You discover who you are meant to be through accumulating insight and knowledge. So follow your curiosity. Are you drawn to learning Mandarin? Join-ing a philosophy society? Studying and practicing Buddhist meditation? Delving into the complexities of computer programming? Writing a historical book? Pursuits that place you near the leading edge of technology, science, psychology, academia, or business are good bets. But any situation that allows you to work independently with freedom to investigate and innovate will fuel your drive.

Who you are meant to be?

This is one of the more difficult questions to ask of oneself but it is one of the most worthwhile and important to ask. Good thing I stumbled upon The Oprah Magazine, November 2009 issue. There are several articles there focused on answering just this question.

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This is how far or serious the recession has hit.

Seen at Freakonomics