Are You The Sum of the 5 People Closest to You?
You’ve probably read this or heard it from some sage on stage. It’s often a motivational speaker trying to convince you that you’ll be happier, better looking or more successful if you junk the losers in your life. Yes, there’s some research that supports this premise, but I’d like to expand this thinking beyond the surface-level point of happiness, beauty, and wealth. Let’s reframe the question:
What if you knew that you were as deep or healthy or generous or empathetic or wise as the 5 people closest to you?
That gives this social science experiment some real humanity. I was talking with one of our Wisdom Well subscribers Tom Lamb recently about his father who went back to get his first college degree around age 60, and as a result, was more engaged with life in the following decade. Today, his dad is 80 and has lost his spirit. And, it’s probably because he doesn’t have the social support that helps him stay curious and passionately engaged with life.
The day after we had to close MEA in mid-March, I wrote this post about after social distancing comes social wellness. Seven months later, I believe it’s even more true. Join me in reminding the world that “wellness” starts with the letters “we” not “I,” as in “illness.” And, that social wellness is influenced by whom you spend your time with. Choose wisely.
