Have you ever noticed that we often become our surroundings and
start to base our life decisions on the decisions made by others whom we encounter every day? I notice this the most when I travel and visit friends who are walking down a different path. When I return to New York to visit my Wall Street friends, I remember what it was like to be climbing the corporate ladder and searching for the next promotion. That was a great chapter in my life and I enjoyed it greatly at the time. But now, things have changed, and as CEO of my own company, it is only I who stands on that ladder. I can swing, I can jump, and I can certainly tumble.
Realizing more now that most life decisions are completely my own, and also realizing that I still am affected by those I keep in my company, I ask myself,
who do I want to keep as "colleagues" to influence and affect my life decisions? As I do this, I think of people that I admire and inspire me. I think of ones that are living their lives in a positive, fulfilling, and confident way.
Obviously I toss out any friends involved in drugs or other bad habits, but I also toss out ones who gossip, tell lies, or speak about others behind their back. Do I want that negativity in my life if I get to choose?One of the people I choose to keep is
Tom Morley,
now a friend, but he has always been one of my favorite
yoga teachers.
I chose Tom to play the part of the
Dad in Yoga for Families, having
chosen him for his natural good looks and attractive personality
(Studies show good-looking people are more likely to grab and keep our
attention, per the September 2007 issue of the Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology).