Your Peer Group Matters More Than You Think – Here’s Why
We’ve heard it since we were kids. “Watch out who you hang out with”.
But its matters way more than that. You position in life today is probably a result of the people you hang out with.
Here is a great article that delves into the reasons:
Have you ever noticed how the people in your life affect you? The impact can be so significant that one of the best things we can do to change our lives for the better is change our peer group.
In the 1930s C.S. Lewis started a small literary circle called the Inklings. The group started with J.R.R. Tolkien, and eventually included others like Owen Barfield and Charles Williams. The influence on works in progress of the different members was huge.
Lewis actually scrapped the first draft of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe after his friends heard some chapters. They considered it “so bad that I destroyed it,” he said. It’s impossible to discount the influence of our friends.
That’s why Solomon stressed friendships so much and so often. “Iron sharpens iron,” he says in one place, “and one man sharpens another.” He also warned about negative friendships: “Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.”
Our peers really matter. And we can put that to work for us if we’re intentional about it.
Usually we drift into peer groups. They could be associates from work, our kids’ school, church, whatever. The important thing to notice is how often these relationships just happen. They’re not intentional. But if iron sharpens iron, shouldn’t we be careful about the kind of edge others are giving us?
Instead of random relationships, what if we could create communities that helped everyone involved achieve their goals together—like Lewis and the Inklings? We can, and these kind of intentional relationships are invaluable in at least three areas:
- Learning. Getting connected with a good group can accelerate your learning, provide key insights, help you find important resources, and teach you best practices.
- Encouragement. Whether it’s business, family life, or our faith journey, life can be tough. A good peer group can give you the validation and support you need to keep going and rise above the tempests.
- Accountability. We need people who can speak into our lives and help us when we’re veering off track. The right peers are essential for this.
And of course, it’s not just about what you get. You can offer the same learning, encouragement, and accountability to others in the group.
These peer groups can take different shapes and configurations ** Read More **
Think of the relationships you’ve had in your life and how they have affected your success.
We’d like to read your comments.
Your Peer Group Matters!
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