The power of 'mixing with the right group'

Part 1
I do spend time in the bookstore often and there is this book of everyday motivational phrases. One of the phrases reads: 'if you want to be youthful, stay useful'!

I find this phrase so inspiring that it should be my guide when I reach 50 (of course, I think I'm quite useful now). This powerful phrase has become my weapon each time I see a person above 50. Each time I tell them this phrase, I could see the resonance and each time, I enjoyed seeing the eyes of these guys sparkle...except one retired golf guy.

Part 2
He said, 'Kua, you are right to say that we should stay useful in order to be youthful. I have one more strategy to share...'

After his revelation, I realized that it were my eyes that sparkle! What was so inspiring? Here it is: 'In order to stay young, stay with the young!'
That is so true that we can even use this mantra now, not when we reach 50. It is all about benchmarking actually. When we mix with friends who are religious, we suddenly want to be more religious. When we spend more time with health-conscious friends, we suddenly talk more about health too.

Apart from talking more on the subjects among our friends, there is another important reason to do so. Our expectation becomes higher and surprisingly, our body will respond to this new demand! That's no magic but just about 'our body responding to our new target'. What is one bombastic term used by trainers for this phenomenon? Yes...mindpower! Another term? Yes...mentoring! Another? No, not mixing. Yes! Benchmarking.

So, let's look around us. Are we behaving like our close friends? Is that good? If yes, continue. Are there any areas you want to improve on but the current standard among your friends are lower or equal to yours? If yes, it's time to look for more friends in this area. Very soon, our expectation is raised and naturally, our mind and body will respond to the new standards!

Why should we be contented just because we only have hypertension while our friends have both hypertension and diabetes? Why not we ask ourselves how can we be as fit as our young friends?

So, it all boils down to 'mixing with the right group' or more aptly put, 'the power of mixing with the right group'

Happy befriending!