Influence of the Company You Keep

The company you keep shapes your character in many ways. Consider the following incident:

On my daily jog this morning, I went toward some other joggers at a distance. There were six of them. Most of them wore matching T-shirts and shorts. They appeared to be earnest and were preparing for a run.
But they weren’t running!

They were probably just beginning and strolling a little and talking, not jogging.

A few of them exchanged glances as they observed me jogging in their direction.
“Hey, let’s get started!” Or, “That jogging guy will think we’re slacking!”

The company you Keep affects indirectly too!

A few people watching me started to jog on their own, and soon the whole group was moving.

It is sometimes necessary for others to assist us in getting started. We occasionally look to others to remind ourselves of what we need to do.

We often find ourselves walking when no one in our group is running.
Had I been walking, I’m sure those joggers would have continued strolling and talking for maybe another block. But since I was running, they seemed to respond with a “Let’s go!”

The sight of me doing what they planned for themselves compelled them to start jogging. And I came to the realization that if you want to run, don’t be in the company of walkers!

The people we associate with influence us in ways we may not realize.
Those walkers desired to go jogging but were complacent about it. Seeing me jog got some of them started without even realizing it! And with them, the entire group started jogging.

Similarly, if you want to achieve any goal in life, associate yourself with those with similar interests, ideals, and visions. And who knows—maybe you’ll inspire many others as you pass by!

The effect of your company

The company you keep shapes your character and significantly improves your personality and your quality of life.

Under their influence, you can learn many new things and break bad habits. They help your inner growth and bring out many good traits in yourself.

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