Reasons Why Your @$$ is BROKE: “Birds of a Feather…”

If you’re pondering why you’re broke, all you have to do is look at the people you surround yourself with on a regular basis.

9 times out of 10, if the people you hang around with are broke, it stands to reason that you, too, are also broke.

Now, you may read that last sentence and think to yourself: “But Aaron, how is it that my friends being broke makes ME broke too?”

The answer: them being broke isn’t so much about money, but how they are living the rest of their lives as well. Their financial status reflects the types of decisions they make, where they hang out, with whom they associate, and – most importantly – how much drive they have to be successful at whatever it is they claim they want to do.

For example: when I was living in ATL as a server, I was surrounded by waiters all the time. I was a server for 2 years, and, as much as I loved hanging out with my fellow employees on the job (and they were, and still are, very nice people), I didn’t really hang out with them too much outside of the job.

Why, you ask?

Simply put – and again, this is not an insult on any of them – they didn’t have the same desire I had to do anything beyond just serving. And if they did, they weren’t actively going after it.

So, while I was spending my time off work to make music, produce videos, write, and do other stuff that was pertinent to my ultimate goal of being wealthy, most of them were out partying, going to bars, drinking, smoking pot, and other activities that, while “fun” (not to me, though), were not beneficial in helping them achieve any sort of goals they may have had.

And the result? A year later, I’m out in Cali, while most of them are still working at jobs they hate. (And if any of you are reading this, please don’t take this as an insult – I just know you have talents and could be doing so much more with them.)

And who do I associate with while I’m out here? People who, like me, are goal-oriented. We may not all be rich right now, but each of us spend our time doing the things we need to do in order to get to that point. We all help and encourage each other to work towards our goals, and are genuinely happy for each other when one of us reaches another step in our quest for success.

The bottom line is, if you’re hanging around with people that don’t have any clear goals in life, then you, by wanting to continue your association with them, will place your goals to the side too, lest you end up alienated by them. And, while you may end up keeping your so-called “friends,” you will also be helping to keep yourself in the poor house.

As a general rule, I like to keep positive people around me so that I, too, will feel positive about myself. Not that I need someone to tell me to be positive since I tend to be that way anyway… but I DO find hanging around people with negative attitudes to be quite draining on my energy.

So, if you’re going to try and be a positive person who wants to succeed – and, therefore, be rich – these are the types of people you should avoid “flocking” around with:

1. PEOPLE WHO COMPLAIN.

If you have friends who constantly like to complain about any and everything in their lives, no matter how big or small, you need to DROP THEM.

Complaining, while “fun,” doesn’t help solve a problem, it only prolongs it. People who are successful get there because, rather than complaining about something, they find a way to fix it, fix it, then move on.

2. PEOPLE WHO BLAME OTHER PEOPLE FOR THEIR SITUATION.

I’ve been in several situations where I thought someone else was at fault – but even then, I always remember that, since I was part of that situation, I, too, have to take some blame. Realizing one’s own mistakes in any situation helps a person better examine their self and grow.

People who blame others all the time are simply doing so to avoid owning up to their mistakes so that they can play the victim role. They may think being a victim is the only way they can get attention – and it does work – but the downside is that, by doing so, they don’t allow themselves to learn lessons that would help them grow and, more importantly, help them better attain success.

3. PEOPLE WHO ARE LIARS.

If you surround yourself with people who lie to other people on a regular basis, how are you to know if you can trust them?

Sure, you might think that just because your friend lies to other friends or family that they wouldn’t lie to you… but eventually, it’s gonna come full circle. And the worst place you’d want for this to happen is on the eve of a financially-beneficial project, when your “friend”/partner comes to you and says they’re going to the Bahamas for a week…

…and you find out it was with the money YOU put into the project, and your friend decides not to come back. Now you’re broke AND can’t find your friend!

4. PEOPLE WITH A “CAN’T DO IT” MENTALITY.

Don’t get it twisted: when you’re just starting out, you and your friends might be strapped for cash. However, it’s important that the people you hang around with all have an attitude that says “we can do this no matter what.”

Why? Because there are going to be times when things aren’t going as planned, or where life throws you a curve ball, and if you’re surrounded by a bunch of people who don’t think what you’re trying to do can really be done, weathering those rough moments are going to be tough.

People with a “can’t do it” mentality may SAY they want to do a certain thing, but they’re really just saying that so as not to upset you. However, these people are easy to spot: they’re the ones who, when asked why they don’t try something that seems impossible, always seem to have an excuse as to why it can’t be done.

But again, part of that is because they hang around with people who also have that attitude – they just don’t realize it!

In summary: if you really want to avoid being broke, you need to start by surrounding yourself with people who are positive, have a great outlook on life, and believe that anything is possible.

And, if you ARE currently broke and/or don’t know why you can’t seem to achieve any of your goals, take a look around you and see who your closest friends are. You may discover that your broke-@$$ friends have a stronger influence on your @$$ being BROKE than you thought before!

-Aaron P. Taylor