Everyone you come into contact with, influences you in some way.
Even total strangers have a measurable impact on what you think and how you feel. For example, a friendly smile from a stranger can make you feel better and abuse from an anonymous Internet troll can make you feel worse.
The people you connect with
Think for a moment about the people you connect with. Family, friends, neighbours, clients, social networking contacts, bloggers – everyone you connect with in some way. If you notice yourself about to make a decision based on their feedback, there’s a critical question you need to ask yourself first.
The question is this: Have they earned the right to influence me?
The value of relevant experience and expertise
Even if someone’s intentions are good and they believe what they are saying, if they lack expertise and relevant experience, their influence can be toxic to your business and your plans. This is why the most successful people in business are extremely selective, regarding who they associate with and who they connect with. They act on advice from informed sources; people they know they can trust. They exclude voices, which cause them to make bad decisions or cause them to feel negative or unproductive. They make a conscious choice to associate with people, who support them and their vision.
Take a moment to decide if the people who influence YOUR decisions, have earned that right. Be selective. Their impact on your future is too great for you to ignore this.