Associates and Associations

"The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve.  Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.  An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people.  As you grow, your associates will change.  Some of your friends will not want you to go on.  They will want you to stay where they are.  Friends that don't help you climb will want you to crawl.  Your friends will stretch your vision or choke, your dream.  Those that don't increase you will eventually decrease you.  Consider this:  Never receive counsel from unproductive people.  Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how.  Not everyone has a right to speak into your life.  You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person.  Don't follow anyone who's not going anywhere." -- Colin Powell