As you meet people in your life, you come to learn that they have different ideas of success.  It's useful to figure out what kind of success you desire for yourself and whether the people you know and hang around are assisting you to get closer to your target.  Statistics show that the five people you spend the most time with are those individuals whose lives you somehow admire and in whose footsteps you're most likely to follow. Consider the life choices of your closest friends. Reflect on where you are and where you aim to be.  Realize all choices have consequences.  Those of your friends may or may not be things you wish for yourself.

Down at the local bar, you may overhear a man bragging how he had evaded police when his blood alcohol level was over the legal limit. He felt he'd succeeded by pulling one over on them.

As you walk downtown with friends, you may hear a homeless man explain to another that he felt he'd succeeded because he refused to accept social or other assistance. After all, he had pride.

While out at a party, you may hear of a friend who is proud of taking illicit drugs and managing to stay perceived by friends and family as being clean. As he managed to hide a dangerous habit, he felt that he succeeded.

After an enjoyable dinner, you discern that a colleague has a serious gambling problem. This person admits playing the machines gives him an incredible high. He tells you his idea of success is having the goal of winning the slots to work toward. He invites you to join him for company.

You're out with your friends at night and they impulsively decide to graffiti the underside of an old bridge. They pull you to run after the stunt.  They laugh and feel they will get away with it.

One of your university alumni has retired and is charged up about his plans to sail across the Atlantic.  His track record as a sailor isn't great, and so he's looking for crew. He asks you to join him on the adventure.  He is convinced he will succeed if he leaves just before hurricane season.

One of your friends has been smoking cigarettes for years.  He learns he has contracted lung cancer. You still accept the second-hand smoke.  Part of his idea of success is not having been intimidated into quitting. He feels the government or anyone else shouldn't control his choices.

It's never too late to review your life choices and change how you spend your time. It's unlikely you'll agree with all of your friends' behavior. Remidn yourself you're not forced to follow anyone's footsteps.  Yet, you can learn much about your principles and values from the choices of people you call your friends.

As you take time to clarify dreams and the kind of life you would like for yourself, do not allow yourself to become discouraged by friends who haven't had courage or self-confidence to change.  If you hope to achieve financial success, then it wouldn't make sense to seek a mentor in someone who has not experienced the journey you aspire to for yourself.  If you're a creative person, pursuing a science degree or joining military may not be for you.  if you have athetic goals, then drinking or disregarding health will not help your body train and achieve.  Life choices offer you opportunities to learn about yourself. Take steps to define your own view of success.  Then, you'll discover how much easier it really is to go after it and live it.