On one hand, I completely agree with you. I feel a large part of the success and achievement in my life is due to the fact that I am self-motivated and couldn't care less what my friends think. All I care is how I feel about what I'm doing.
That said, there's an old adage that does tend to hold true, which is that your salary is almost certainly going to be an average of the five people you commiserate with the most. Look around. The people you work with/hang out with/have a beer with...how much do they make? Is it close to what you make?
It almost certainly is. In fact, in my own life I can recall many great pals that I used to talk to all of the time that I haven't spoken to in years. I'm not better than they are, and I certainly liked being their friend, but somewhere along the way I started taking a different path, and slowly started making more money than they did. A lot more.
If everyone in our circle is working hard to get ahead, then chances are, we will be even more inclined to do so.
That said, there's an old adage that does tend to hold true, which is that your salary is almost certainly going to be an average of the five people you commiserate with the most. Look around. The people you work with/hang out with/have a beer with...how much do they make? Is it close to what you make?
It almost certainly is. In fact, in my own life I can recall many great pals that I used to talk to all of the time that I haven't spoken to in years. I'm not better than they are, and I certainly liked being their friend, but somewhere along the way I started taking a different path, and slowly started making more money than they did. A lot more.
If everyone in our circle is working hard to get ahead, then chances are, we will be even more inclined to do so.