Imagine you are trying to figure out your next move.

You have a few ideas, you want to make more money, you want to grow, you know you are capable of more, but you are not exactly sure how to get there yet.

Now imagine spending most of your time with people who are also stuck.

Every conversation is about how things are hard, how nobody is getting opportunities, how there is no money, how things are just not working.

After a while, that way of thinking can start to feel normal. You begin to see your own situation through the same lens as the people around you.

Then one day, you have a conversation with someone who sees things differently.

You are telling them about something you want to do, and instead of giving you ten reasons why it will not work, they ask, “Okay, so what is stopping you from trying?”

You start talking about what you could do differently, who you could reach out to, what you could learn and where you could start.

Nothing about your situation has changed yet, but somehow you leave that conversation thinking about it differently.

That is why association is one of the factors that contribute to success.

It can also tell you a lot about the people in your circle and whether they are helping you move towards where you want to go or keeping you in the same place.

If you are trying to find your way, pay attention to the conversations you keep having and the people you keep having them with.