Proverbs 13:20
“He that walks with wise men shall be wise…”
We have a saying where I come from... that goes something like this: “You can’t fly with the eagles…if you are running with the chickens!”
It is a fact that you can never rise above the company that you keep. I am constantly looking for relationships that will challenge me, and provide for me the tough, no nonsense, honest coaching, that it takes to improve my life and its effectiveness. In order to grow in life, you must be around those few who are making the daily decisions in life that create growth…not the cowardly, apathetic, and lazy ones that destroy it!
Thomas Edison once said, “Show me a thoroughly satisfied man …and I will show you a failure.” He was not referring to the deep satisfaction, or peace of a man’s soul. He was referring to a type of satisfaction of state of being…one who has simply giving up on his or her dreams, and has just decided to sit back and be content to conform to the status quo. This world is more prosperous, healthy, secure, and filled with a treasure of opportunity because certain men and women were not satisfied with the norm. They demanded more of themselves and of those around them.
A close friend to Mr. Edison was once heard saying, “Thomas. I hate to see you keep laboring for a dream that will never become a reality. You have failed over one thousand different times in trying to create this artificial light bulb.” Mr. Edison simply replied, “You are wrong my friend. I have simply discovered one thousand ways that it doesn’t work!” As we all know, because of his persistence, Thomas Edison, among many other inventions, created the first “light bulb”. This one invention has changed the world in thousands of different ways. We need more of this type of fighter …this type of dreamer!
“…but a companion of fools is headed for destruction.”
It is a good thing that Mr. Edison didn’t listen to this extremely bad advice of his friend. But on the contrary, turned a deaf ear to his words, and continued to pursue his goal. However, just like bad advice can be lethal to our dreams, even more so, can bad company! Bad company is like a barnacle to a ship. It clings to the hull…weighs down the vessel…and if you don’t go into the harbor and get them chipped off…they will eventually sink your ship.
However, it is not just the company, but their conversation that will weigh you down. Negative, belly-aching, complaining, excuse-making, folks are like a deep slippery pit. Once you get in, it is difficult to climb your way out! Mainly, because every time that you try to climb your way out…they pull your feet right back down to the bottom with all of their… “woe is me” … type of talk.
“This is the key to victory that will overcome the obstacles we face in this world…even our faith!” 1 John 5:4
By simply making a bold move away from certain relationships that are unhealthy and many times lethal to our dreams... we can immediately change the entire outlook and future of our lives…and of those we love most!
When things look dark, have faith! When your friends abandon you, have faith! When it seems financially impossible, have faith! When the next step you have to take is upon the water, have faith! When your own heart no longer wants to believe, have faith!! Keep saying yes I can! Keep believing! Keep moving forward! Keep the faith! And then one day…you will suddenly look up … and the light of your dreams is turned on and is burning bright!
Let us be determined to fly and live free with the eagles…and not be conformed to walk around and die with the chickens!