Scarlet mentioned on a post the other day that a friend told her something she had read in a book. Wow. That sounded kinda like "my sister's nephew's babysitter's aunt" or something. Anyway, the quote on Scarlet's post was, "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." I'd like to think the quote may have been, "You are the average of the five people you choose to spend the most time with." Because let's face it, most people spend more time with their coworkers than their friends and that is usually not by choice. Ditto their children and spouses. Which in the first case is also choice-free. The spouse thing is different for everybody. Anyway, I found it to be a fascinating and thought provoking quote. Let it simmer in your brain for a while.
7 comments:
That is an interesting quote. I spend most of my time with my husband, which I believe is actually a choice. (Because even if you're married you can avoid spending time with each other.)
I wonder if phone time counts...
Thankfully, in my present job, I actually admire most of my co-workers and am truly inspired by my bosses.
Thanks for the "something to think about". :)
Jammie,
~~I totally counted phone time, because I spend hours on the phone with three particular people. And they are 3 of my 5. And the second word in "phone time" is "time."
Frankly, I did not understand the quote when I read it on Scarlet's blog, and I still don't. And, I don't think it makes any sense! Who decided that??? It just seems completely bogus to me....!
I’m kind of with Old Lady though perhaps not as vehemently. I now spend most of my time with 5 completely different people than I spent most of my time with 3 years ago and I’m the same person. I think this may very well apply somewhat to children and teenagers, but not to mature adults.
It's simple. Example: If you're around grumpy, nasty, ruthless people most of the day (not necessarily by choice), they will affect you in a negative way. Obviously.
When I eliminated a few of these people from my life (who were weighing me down), it made room for healthier relationships.
The thing about these people is they start out positive and for whatever reason shift in the opposite direction. Many times we feel too connected to see it for what it is...a good relationship gone bad.
Personally, I like the quote. It makes you think and gives you a better perspective.
Ahhh, good point -- second word being "time"... reading Naomi's comment, I guess I kind of liken this saying to the one of "birds of a feather flock together" kind of thing. Is that how you thought of it?
Naomi,
~~I guess it's open to interpretation, but I liked it.
Xup,
~~Maybe you just think you're the same person. I bet you're growing.
Scarlet,
~~Yes, negative folks are a drag and then we have to weigh the decision to abandon them. It's tricky.
Jammie,
~~I took the quote and used it as an examination of my 5 people and found that all 5 of them represented different parts of who I am. I thought it was an interesting mental exercise.
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