My wife is a Hispanic girl from Miami, and she has a very distinctive way of speaking.
She was born in the US. English was her first language. But living in Miami has given her a unique accent and some interesting vocabulary words. It seems like the city is a completely separate country from the United States.
I, on the other hand, am from Texas. I have my own unique way of speaking—my own accent and my own vocabulary words.
It’s funny though, because every time I visit Miami, I come back talking a bit more like my wife.
In only a couple days of vacation, hanging out with her old friends from high school, I find myself using different words and pronouncing things differently. Apparently you do become like those you associate with.
We all accept this fact when it comes to bad things. We agree bad company corrupts good character. But just like hanging around the wrong people can bring you down, hanging around the right people can lift you up. If you want to take your work and leadership prowess to the next level, you need to associate with the right people.
You need folks that will inspire you to greatness.
You need someone to challenge you—to help you take your skills beyond their current state.
Too often our ruts come about when we’ve plateaued among our peer group. When we’ve learned all we can from our current associates, it’s easy to stop growing. That’s why I believe every leader needs to make it a point to associate with creative people—even those that might be considered oddballs.
The only way you’ll avoid plateauing in your skillset and perspective is to hang out with people who think differently than you do. And I don’t know of many people who think more differently than artists and “creatives”.
They say you can’t get out of situations using the same thought process that got you into the situation in the first place. So if you find yourself stuck in a rut or in a certain way of thinking, the only way you’ll get out of it is to think differently.
Proverbs says, “If you walk with the wise, you become wise.” It’s just as true that if you walk with the creative, you become creative.
Creativity isn’t just the ability to make art. It isn’t just the ability to sing a song. It’s the ability to see things differently.
So I ask you this: What problem are you faced with today? Who should you associate yourself with in order to start thinking differently? To start seeing your world in a unique way?
I’d love to hear your thoughts? Have you experienced this phenomenon of association? Who have you seen yourself become like, due to your being around them?
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About Jonathan:
Jonathan Malm is a creative entrepreneur and writer. He is the author of Created for More, a 30-day devotional to help you develop a more creative mind. You’ll find him in San Antonio, Texas, roasting his own coffee beans and enjoying life with his Argentine wife, Carolina.
