Today’s word count: 647 words
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes 26 seconds
Your environment is either fueling your growth—or quietly sabotaging it.
The people you surround yourself with shape your mindset, your energy, and ultimately your results.
This week, we're exploring what it really means to choose your circle with intention—and how your relationships either lift you like eagles or keep you grounded like turkeys (no offense to turkeys — love them! They just don’t fly that much really…).
___
P.S. There’s a poll at the end of this email—so don’t forget to exercise your right to vote ✌️
By the way: last week’s poll had an overwhelming response—turns out, you guys love voting. Yeyyy!
So, I’ll keep including multiple choice questions at the end of each email—and when the results are interesting, I’ll share them with all of you the following week. Deal? 💬✅
Quote 1:
“You can not fly with eagles if you continue to be friends with turkeys.”
- Joel Osteen (pastor, author, speaker, televangelist, influencer)
By this point, I feel like you get the memo—eagles are cool and fly, and turkeys… well, they’re not and they don’t.
I know this is a simplification based on the mobility of one kind of animal, but it still cuts straight to the core message of today’s newsletter: we are who we surround ourselves with.
The people around you either pull you forward or hold you down. If your circle isn’t stretching you, it’s probably shrinking you.
Quote 2:
“Surrounding don’t make a man; they just show who he really is.”
- Epictetus (ancient Stoic philosopher)
People often say that our experiences shape us into who we are. But if you really think about it, the same experience can have drastically different effects on different people.
Take a tragedy, for example—something unexpected and painful. One person might use it as fuel to grow, to do better, to help others. Another might fall into despair and decide it’s not worth trying anymore.
Same situation, same experience—but completely different outcome. That difference isn’t in the event itself, but in the person experiencing it.
Quote 3:
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.”
- African Proverb (used widely in leadership and growth contexts)
We live in a world that glorifies solo success—lone wolves, self-made stories, and the hustle in silence mentality.
But the truth is, anything truly meaningful and lasting requires people. Support, feedback, accountability, collaboration—those are the forces that carry you through when motivation fades or complexity kicks in.
Going fast feels good in the moment, but going far is what creates legacy. And no one builds that alone.
If you're serious about your goals, start thinking less about how quickly you can get there, and more about who you're bringing with you.
On a personal note — The older I get, the more I understand the true meaning of success.
It’s basically worthless if you don’t have others to share it with—people in your circle you can support, encourage, and help achieve their own dreams.
At the end of the day, real purpose and lasting fulfillment come from reaching your goals while sharing life with the people you love.
Still can’t stop thinking about that eagles vs. turkeys part from earlier 😅😅😅
What kind of success story are you?
Feeling like making moves? — Who is in your inner circle?
Identify 10 people you spend most time with (in person or digitally)
Classify those people in 2 groups: bring me joy and positive outcome vs. bring me stress and negative outcome
Can you imagine your life only with people in the positive group?
If yes, how would you go about it?
Please share in the comments your experiences with this exercise »»» 💬
🚀🚀🚀 Share, like and subcribe! 🚀🚀🚀
🔥🔥🔥 Share, like and subcribe! 🔥🔥🔥
🫶🫶🫶 Share, like and subcribe! 🫶🫶🫶
Love you,
Igor
Craving more?
Your Author
