Guilt By Association & Wealth By It Too!

"Tell me what company thou keepst, and I'll tell thee what thou art." - Miguel de Cervantes (1547 - 1616) Spanish novelist.

Growing up I often heard my best friend's father Nick say, "Show me who your friends are and I'll tell you what you are!"

Well, that was usually followed by a long speech about why his son Frank should not have hung out with certain people.

I was like a second son to Nick so I would get to listen in on Frank getting yelled at. By that time, I had already been homeless and off the streets and working my way through High School, so I never thought of hanging out with the types that Frank did. Of course I was no angel but, I chose my friends as carefully as I could.

Frank never got the point back then, but Nick knew very well about the power of association.

You see Nick, grew up the only son of an entrepreneur and brother to six sisters. Since he was the baby boy, he got a lot of attention and love from his father. Although all of the children did, Nick got just a little more.

Nick's father the owner of a motel and a construction company could rival the strength and attitude of the strongest of the strongmen of his day and even ours. He grew up with the same mentality of his father AND the strength to boot!

The problem with Nick was that he associated with the street gangs of his day and didn't listen to his father when he gave him the same speech, "Show me who your friends are and I'll tell you what you are!"

Associating with the wrong people didn't end there though, later in life he ended up associating himself with the some of the most ruthless mobsters around and as time went on, Nick gained both the wealth and the bad habits these guys had.

Finally the days came when his acquired gambling addiction took all of the wealth away. Although he could have lost his life many times, it took the loss of his money to finally stop associating himself with these people.

"Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for 'tis better to be alone than in bad company." - George Washington (1732 - 1799) US Statesman

Although Nick didn't follow the above advice, he is still a good man and still does great things.

After all he took me off the streets, gave me a home and taught me lessons from his past.

Like Nick, many people don't realize that wealth by association works the same as guilt.

When asked how he intends on being America's first black billionaire, Don King said, "By hanging around other billionaires!"

The truth of the matter is that whether you want to learn something significant or learn to be more successful, the people you associate with are the probably going to be one of the major keys to your success. I'm sure you've heard countless stories about those "lucky" people who gained wealth and success through others who were more successful at the time. I've personally heard and learned about many such stories.

Association is one of the reasons that many people pay big bucks to me mentored by very successful people.

The "Key" reason peope do this is: In order to get what you want or learn what you want you must go to the source.

Find a personal or business mentor or coach and learn everything you can from them then apply it.

The other part of success by association is that you will generally attain the average success and/or wealth of your 10 closest friends. The reason for this is that by associating with people who are more successful or wealthier, you are then able to tap into their intellectual, spiritual or financial resources.

That my friend, is an enormously critical success factor. To see an example of this, look at marketing online or offline. You will see that people and businesses often associate themselves with each other (one being more successful than the other) to build both credibility and wealth.

Apply the Success By Association Principle to your business and life, then buckle up for the ride!

*** Rasheed Ali was once a homeless runaway on the streets of NY and is now changing the lives of thousands of people from all walks of life...Helping them reach their ultimate potential by conquering any and all obstacles through his Conquer Your Adversity Newsletter. He is also co-founder of http://www.SleepYourWayToRiches.com You can subscribe to his newsletter at http://www.RasheedAli.com ***

---

Going On a Mental Diet

Diets are always in style. Every time you turn around,... Read More

4 Ways To Avoid Looking Stupid When Making Small Talk

The fear of saying something silly and feeling embarrassed stops... Read More

4 Quick, Easy Ways to Say No to People Who Take You for Granted

No matter how wonderful you are sometimes other people will... Read More

Coaching is Asking the Right Questions

Have you ever known anyone who asked themselves "Why me?"... Read More

Success: Cant Achieve It By Yourself? Pay A Professional!

So many people go through the motions of trying to... Read More

Do You Trust Your Mentor(s)?

It is better to suffer wrong than to do it,... Read More

Coaching: Change Made Simple

Here's a story that I think gets at why we... Read More

Getting Unstuck: Moving Forward To Success

Ever find yourself stuck in that awful loop of inactivity?... Read More

Controlling Behavior, Loving Behavior

When Zack and Tiffany started counseling with me, they were... Read More

How to Solve Disputes with the Helicopter Talk Technique

Do you ever find that when a friend asks for... Read More

COACHING: When it?s Beyond Oprah and Dr. Phil

How many more servings of the daytime self-help salad will... Read More

Surviving the Workday in Your Organization

Most people suffer from stress at some time during the... Read More

Not Blind, Just No Vision

Helen Keller once remarked that there was one thing she... Read More

What Do You Really Want ?

Being a coach is such a rewarding profession. The enormous... Read More

The American Dream ? Are We Really Free?

The promises of THE AMERICAN DREAM (to have it all... Read More

What in the World is Life Coaching?

In my speaking engagements I have often compared coaching today... Read More

The Value of Coaching to Support Your Business and Your Life

In our daily lives as well as in our businesses,... Read More

Whats Next Syndrome

Terms like Postpartum, Post Traumatic and Post Gulf War are... Read More

If I Only Had a Heart

I know you probably have heard of the movie, "The... Read More

Dealing Effectively with Midlife Issues

In this article we would like to help you explore... Read More

Aim For Your Star

"Aim for your star, no matter how far, you must... Read More

Be A Champion Communicator by Becoming a Chameleon

Recently, I worked with a client who was having a... Read More

It?s All To Do With The Way You Wake Up

Do you start your day with anger, frustration and annoyance... Read More

Working With Choices

Despite our skills, experience or expertise we can still make... Read More

Have a World-Changing Conversation

I know what you're thinking? "Here I am, completely stressed... Read More

Is The Apprentice Bad For Your Health?

If you know who I mean when I say Kwame,... Read More

Unleash Your True Potential

Some time ago I attended a birthday party and met... Read More

4 Steps to Successful Goal-Setting

Successful people have always had clear, focused goals that guide... Read More

A Sure-Fire, 10-Step Formula To Get Started As A Coach Or Consultant

"My guess is first I'll need some zippy flyers and... Read More

THE Step to Working Smarter (Japanese Style)

Remember that Coke contest from the 80s? If you collected... Read More

How to Deal Effectively with Anxiety

Every human feels anxiety on occasion; it is a part... Read More

Why Pacing and Leading is for Wimps!

Okay, you have read some books on body language and... Read More

Budda In Your Back Pocket

The other day I was late for something. Not very... Read More