How to Change Your Life With People

Curt Rosengren

Want a quick prediction of your potential in life? Take a look at the people around you.

How high do they inspire you to fly? Do they lift you up, or do they drag you down? Do they energize you or drain you? Do they inspire belief, or do they plant seeds of doubt?

When you surround yourself with people who are positive and motivated, who believe in their potential, a funny thing happens. Even if nothing else in your life changes, it starts to rub off on you. It starts to change your paradigm.

A couple of years ago, I attended a discussion on urban sustainability. Out of a dozen people, I was the only one who had driven a car there. The collective values paradigm of the group was "We don't drive if we don't have to."

I was amazed at what a powerful (if short-lived) effect that had on me. I found myself feeling embarrassed that I had driven. Why? Because the collective values (and actions) of the group created a different paradigm. And my actions were outside that paradigm.

The point is that the people you surround yourself with can have a powerful impact on the way you see the world. When you surround yourself with people with a positive, inspiring perspective on life, it creates a positive paradigm. It raises the bar and motivates you to both reach higher and believe that it's possible.

What paradigm are the people in your life creating?

After years as a professional malcontent, Curt Rosengren discovered the power of passion. As a speaker, author, and coach, Rosengren helps people create careers that energize and inspire them. His book 101 Ways to Get Wild About Work and his E-book The Occupational Adventure Guide offer people tools for turning dreams into reality. Rosengren's blog, The M.A.P. Maker, explores how to craft a life of meaning, abundance, and passion.

***If you'd like to get smart, savvy career advice every weekday, you can sign up for the "On Careers" RSS feed here.