Don’t be the exception – find a new normal.

The people you spend the most time with (family, friends, co-workers) influence your choices – both consciously and subconsciously. This is called social influence.

You know the Jim Rohn quote “You’re the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with”…. well it’s actually a lot worse than that lol

We have learned that we’re influenced by people and things well beyond just those 5 people… our behaviors and choices are effected by our family, friends, our friends friends and the people on the media we consume (Facebook, Instagram, Podcasts, etc).

It’s a chain reaction.

Why?

Your perception of what is “normal” or “acceptable” is dictated by the people you see the most – and your behavior changes accordingly.

The 3 most obvious examples are studies done on smoking, obesity and happiness.

According to this study, if your friend smokes… you’re 61% more likely to be a smoker yourself.

If a friend of your friend smokes, you are still 29% more likely to smoke. Crazy, right?!

According to this study, if a friend of yours becomes obese, you are 45% more likely to gain weight over the next two to four years.

If a friend of your friend becomes obese, your chances of gaining weight increases by about 20% — even if you don’t know that friend of a friend! Your friends can quite literally make you fatter or healthier.

According to this study, it’s very obvious that happy friends make you happier… and unhappy friends make YOU more unhappy.

But it also showed that if your friend of a friend of a friend is happy with their life, then you have a 6% greater likelihood of being happy yourself. That’s a lot of degrees of separation and STILL has great influence over your state of mind and behaviors.

The big takeaway here is that you MUST surround yourself (friends, co-workers, social

media, family, etc) with people that make your goals NORMAL.

Audit your sphere of influence… do these people have the success and outcomes that you want for yourself?

Are they broke or wealthy?
Are they unhealthy or healthy?
Are they active or do they never leave their house?
Are they happy or unhappy?
Do they have predominantly positive relationships with people or are they full of drama?

Looking for a group of people and an environment that supports your goals?

It might be time to #GetElevated. We make getting strong, eating mindfully and owning our happiness normal.

“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”

– Nicole Race, Owner Elevate St. Pete