“People’s lives are a direct reflection of the expectations of their peer group.” – Tony Robbins

In others words the friends and colleagues that you hang out with on a regular basis reflect your relationships, health, financial, emotional, education and community standards or what you consider to be normal and acceptable.

What it also mean is that if you want to make a significant improvement in a specific area of your life, you should find new friends. Someone who either shares the same goals or aspirations as you do or folks that already live the life of your dreams. The simple reason is that by hanging out with this crowd you will raise your own standards in the area you want to improve. This concept of peer group is relevant to your personal and business life.

I will give you an example. You may have heard that few months ago I started a new project called “The Feminine Spark Academy”.  The goals of this project are to help women reconnect with their feminine power, embrace self-care, self-love and fun. I also teach women to bring forth their full potential by becoming more joyous and resourceful.

While the idea of the Academy was brewing in my creative mind I met a new friend, Maria, by destiny or by chance, I don’t know. Our daughters are the same age and share the passion of the outdoors. Maria and I became good friends. Maria is warm, beautiful, intelligent, spiritual and highly energetic woman. She is a very creative and talented photographer, she captures raw life. But most importantly she is fun! Fun is important to me, and it became even higher priority since the foundation of the Feminine Spark Academy.

You know the saying: “The quality of your life is the quality of where you live emotionally”. Maria is an awakening woman. In my world an awakening woman is a woman who is a deliberate creator of a beautiful and fulfilling life. Usually an awakening woman went through a personal crisis, real or perceived and decided that from now on she will not settle for less than what she deserves. She doesn’t compromise her love, passions, desires or wants. She embraces her femininity, her creativity, her courage and playfulness. An awakening woman is one who has stopped victimising herself, she is free. Freedom blossoms when we become masters of meaning.

Maria went through her share of adversities. To start with she was raised in a rather difficult family; trust me here, really difficult circumstances. In her early twenties she met the love of her life and they married. Together they travelled our beautiful country, camped, loved and enjoyed the blessings of life. Her husband suffered from a difficult illness. They went through a tedious process of conceiving a baby, multiple years, miscarriages and one strong will to succeed. And then when her beautiful baby girl was only 7 months old her beloved husband passed away from cancer and she became a widow, 31 years old.

Many people in her circumstances would choose suffering. Maria chose life. She chose joy, laughter, the beauty of the waves, the calming singing of the wind, health and unstoppable drive.  She changed her career. By working with a healer her creative drive was awakened and she decided to give up the secure corporate job to become part time mum and part time photographer. She learned what self-love means. She realised that as a single mum she must nurture herself and make health her #1 priority. She is surrounded by happy, loving and supporting people that hold her to a higher standard of happiness, self-love and fulfilment. She embarked on a path of conscious living.

There is one more secret I’ll share with you. The reason I love hanging out with Maria is that she spots all the hottest guys at the beach, as a single lady she developed a sharp eye.  I enjoy the scenery that without Maria’s watchful playfulness would go unnoticed.

So Maria came to my circle of friends when I made empowering women feel happy and resourceful a major part of my business agenda.  She is a role model for me and others on how to live life fully. No matter how difficult the circumstances are she will find the light!

Now I would like to hear from you, please tell me about your friends, why do you love hanging out with them and who inspires you?

If you loved this post please share it with you peer group!

Live with passion!