A young man once asked Warren Buffet, one of the world’s foremost investors, what advice he would give on how to be successful. He might have expected tips on how to invest his money wisely or what career to pursue. Instead, Buffet, in his mid-80s at the time, shared with the young man these words of wisdom: “Hang out with people better than you,” he said. “Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.”1
Parents understand this timeless truth—that’s why they hope and pray that their children will choose good friends. But the same lesson applies to adults of any age or stage along the course of life. Those with whom we surround ourselves will influence our lives—for better or worse.
Perhaps you can relate to the experience of a man who felt weighed down by a spirit of negativity at work. Coworkers often complained and grumbled about their jobs, about each other, and about life in general. Soon this man noticed the same spirit in himself, and he decided to do something about it. He couldn’t change his colleagues, and changing his job wasn’t an option. So, he determined that, outside of work, he would spend more time with trusted loved ones and friends who supported him, who uplifted him, who inspired him to be better. This choice helped him focus more on the positive aspects of his life—including his job. He stopped feeding the negativity around him. It wasn’t long before his associates at work noticed a difference in him and started seeking him out when they wanted to be uplifted and encouraged.
There will always be things about life that we can’t change, such as the attitudes of the people around us. But it’s also true that there is much good in the world—including many good people. We can seek out the kind of people who lift and inspire the best within us. By doing so, we can become the kind of person who lifts and inspires others. As so many parents have reminded their children, surround yourself with greatness, and you’ll become great.
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February 20, 2022
Broadcast Number 4,823
The Tabernacle Choir
Orchestra at Temple Square
Conductor
Mack Wilberg
Ryan Murphy
Organist
Richard Elliott
Host
Lloyd Newell
Let All the World in Every Corner Sing
Ryan Murphy
Tell Me the Stories of Jesus
F.A. Challinor; arr. Ryan Murphy
In Christ There Is No East or West
Spiritual; arr. Dale Wood
Gloria, from Mass in D, op. 86
Antonín Dvořák
Lead, Kindly Light
John B. Dykes; arr. Mack Wilberg
Climb Ev’ry Mountain, from The Sound of Music
Richard Rodgers; arr. Arthur Harris
When in Our Music God Is Glorified
Charles Villiers Stanford; arr. Mack Wilberg