We live in a world of billions yet take on life’s trials and tribulations alone. We take the mindset of ourselves against the world. Why? If it’s us against the world, the world would still be standing and undefeated after dealing with us. We recognize we have similar aspirations as some people around us, but do we utilize that information correctly? We’ll misuse it before using it as a positive. We will tell ourselves we must visualize these people as competition. We state we must be more successful than these people. We will pretend our peers are the reason we are not where we want to be regarding our goals. These statements are false. There are benefits to befriending peers. The similarities don’t need to be a perfect match. Say you are an entrepreneur and befriend another entrepreneur. The fact you two are in different industries is not a problem. The benefit of having people you can speak to about things only people on your journey will understand is a priceless positive that we have shunned out of our lives long enough.
Having someone to understand what you are expressing is comforting. In a world of discomfort, finding soothing environments is recommended. When life presents you with a situation you’ve never faced, you usually sit in fear and uncertainty for a while. Having a friend, who is also a peer, enables you to make a phone call and potentially remove the unease you were harboring before the call. Of course, having more friends who are peers increases the chances of success, so let’s get that limit that we have in our heads out of the picture. Would it be better to call these people associates? Fine. Whatever it takes to get yourself in the positive state of mind needed to help yourself and others.
In addition to having someone to speak with in times of worry, befriending a peer gives you increased insight and reach. We can’t stay abreast of every event or occurrence in our area, but a circle of friends in that area definitely can. A friend making you aware of a gathering you knew nothing of can be the difference between you meeting the person that will take your chances of achieving your dream to the next level or not. You cannot put a price on that. What about the scenario of not being able to make the gathering? Well, that friend is going and can be your reach that night and connect you and that person you needed to meet. That friend allowed you to miss an event critical to the success of your journey. Let’s not forget you would have known nothing about the event without them. If this doesn’t make you reconsider befriending peers, I fear your chances of success will be lower than they must.
In closing, everyone isn’t the enemy or competition. People can be an extension of yourself. You can be a critical connection for them. We must stop the mindset of “us against the world.” It is a losing proposition. We all need help. The journey can be more enjoyable than it has been with a couple more people walking alongside you. We will discover we are all just as nervous, scared, and uneasy as one other, but not as much as we’d be if we were alone. Humans are social creatures. If you don’t like large numbers, fine, keep the number of people low but understand your selection will need to be more efficient than social butterflies. There are consequences for all decisions. Understand what we are doing and why we are doing it. This undertaking is for more than us. Get out there and make a peer or two a friend. It will help more people than you could ever imagine.
Food for thought. You do the dishes!
