Do your friends give you permission to stay where you are? Do they pull you down by the coat tails to make sure you stay where you are? Or do they encourage you to be what you are truly capable of being?—– a person on top of your game!
In my opinion, a real true friend is not someone who simply agrees with you. Or never tells you that you can be any better. Instead, a good friend encourages you to tap into your greatness and do what they know you can accomplish. I believe a true friend is someone that pushes you to follow your dreams and pursue your deepest passions in order to become the best version of “you” possible. A friend is someone who is there to celebrate your victories as if they were their own and would expect the same in return for theirs. They are there for you when the world is caving in. They also tell you what you really need to hear when you need it most, not necessarily what you want to hear. I believe a true friend is someone who will snap you back to reality and kick you in the tail when you need it most.
To be honest, I’d rather have one true friend like that then a hundred phony ones that don’t push me any day. What’s the point of a fake friend? Are they even a friend or simply an acquaintance? I have this discussion on a regular basis with people because I have a lot of “friends” online. I know a whole lot of people all over the country but only a few are real friends…. The others are mere acquaintances which is fine… but I wouldn’t call them in an emergency situation or to tell them I just had a baby or any other life altering news. 
I believe there are many of us out there that give our friends permission to stay right where they are. To linger in mediocrity, never growing. Why do we do this? To be dead honest, it’s because many of us have become complacent in our own lives and if our friends grow, then it makes us “look bad.” No longer can we say “well everyone else is the same, I’m not that bad.” We no longer have that comparison anymore to justify our lack of greatness in life or in our minds.
Monday – December 21, 2009 – The University of Kentucky, UK, Wildcats just hit 2000 wins in the schools history. They are a force to be reckoned with and from the coaches on down to the players – are encouraged to GO that extra mile and succeed and become all they can be. I love the team concept of life and winning. It’s really how we should all be in this life… rooting for each other… pushing each other to BE GREAT… wouldn’t that be nice?
“For every person seeking greatness, there are dozens more charged with safeguarding their mediocrity.” -R.G.
I challenge you all to step out of your comfort zone and encourage those around you to become the best they can. Stop giving them the excuse to stay where they are. Let me be clear: I’m not saying run out there and judge everyone and start telling them they are a screwup. That’s a fast track way to lose all of your friends and possibly get in a few fights… hahahaha… Just don’t let your friends become complacent and settle when you know they can aspire to do greater things. Encourage them that they can become incredible in their endeavors. Compliment them…. and sometimes kick them in the tail toward a better life.
We about got into a fight to the death with an ad rep for a client a few days ago. Why? Because ad reps are not marketers and they attempt to give you unwanted bad advertising advice. NO offense to any ad rep that does know what they are actually doing, but many know absolutely nothing about marketing. Many have never studied, created or done ANY advertising themselves. They have not been knee deep in the trenches of entrepreneurship like we have. They do not know what it is like to struggle and risk everything for a dream. They haven’t had to put their OWN money on the table for advertising because they are employees.
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