They say that you are the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with most but have you ever thought more about this idea?
We reflected and discussed… you know we like a chat.
Whenever we read this quote in the past, we automatically related this ‘average’ to business, success and intelligence.
But it relates to everything. And importantly, it relates to health.
From diet to hobbies, to exercise, to ambition, to self-esteem.
When you are around people who exercise, you’ll be inspired to exercise.
Your friends eat a healthy balanced diet, you’ll be inspired to eat well.
When you surround yourself with people who fully accept themselves, you’ll be inspired to accept yourself.
We’ve both experienced this our whole lives… with each other. And we’ve felt it impact us in both negative and positive ways.
In the past, it would always be the newest fad diet, or new exercise style (always for weight loss). One of us would read about it, start it, tell the other and then we’d both decide to do it together.
One of us would want to get ice cream and peanut M&Ms and have a movie binge night. So we both did.
One of us would be sad about being ‘too fat’… the other was there to help but then it could also influence the other way round. Well, if she thinks she’s fat then I must be fat too.
Although we loved each other so much, sister best friends since forever… this behaviour was absolutely toxic.
Now, we’re more aware, now we’re more connected to ourselves, now we are a little (sometimes a lot) more wiser.
But the point is, we know we can and we do influence each other massively.
“According to research by social psychologist Dr. David McClelland of Harvard, [the people you habitually associate with] determine as much as 95% of your success or failure in life.” Darren Hardy, from The Compound Effect.
Now a good example is…
Carla “Let’s do Yoga”
Emma “Can’t be bothered, feeling lazy”
Carla “Ok, well I am”
Emma “Oh wait, me too, I love Yoga!”
How do the people around you impact your health and results?
They influence you.
Think about the 5 people you hang out with most. What are your conversations like? What do they spend their spare time with? Are they optimists or pessimists? Do you share similar values with them?
These people influence your actions and opinions in some way.
And we’re not telling you to get rid of all your pessimist friends! We need people with different opinions and views, this helps us grow BUT when it becomes toxic or really one-sided, this is when it’s time to check-in.
They keep you accountable.
Want to welcome something new to your life? Tell a friend, or even better… join with a friend. An example could be… salsa lessons.
You want to salsa but you feel nervous and out of your depth. Doing it with a friend can make you feel safe and excited… and yes accountable to actually stick to it!
And this is why we put so much energy and love into our private MerryBody community. This human connection, the daily inspiration and motivation is next level inside MerryBody… and we’re not saying it comes from us… it’s from every single member.
When we read the comments inside the community we see others getting inspired and we personally feel inspired to get on the mat and do a Yoga or Pilates class.
And because MerryBody is all about moving with JOY and ACCEPTANCE. MerryBody attracts people who wish to bring this to their lives.
So not only are members (and us!) inspired to move they’re also inspired to welcome self-acceptance and joy.
It really is a magical thing.
You’ve heard before, it takes 21 days of consistency to create a new habit (we think technically and scientifically it’s actually around 90 days but you get the idea).
You can’t meditate once and expect to experience a magical awakening. One healthy meal won’t really make a difference to your body. If you can’t touch your toes now, one Yoga class won’t change that. Want a strong core? One Pilates class won’t create it.
But you know what WILL create change? Consistency!
To reach your goal, you need to create consistency, in turn forming a HABIT. This = change. Doing it with someone else is going to make you wayyyy more likely to actually achieve whatever change you’re looking to make.
[If you don’t have anyone to do it with, don’t worry, when you join MerryBody we (and every other member) are with you every step of the way.]
They challenge you
Being challenged can sometimes be hard to deal with but actually, it makes us stronger and it reveals our true selves. And when we know ourselves we can do better and be better, when we know ourselves we can make decisions aligned to our hearts.
This could look like a friend or a loved one pulling you up on the way you say one thing but really you mean another. You know the kind of conversations. Well, we know the kind!
Or, a loved one pointing out your angry tone of voice (even if you don’t mean it) and how your message is getting lost in the tone.
And yes, we are speaking from experience (can you guess which sister has which trait?! :P).
We constantly challenge our MerryBods to question everything. To think differently. See an alternative perspective. Mindset is a HUGE part of MerryBody.
By shifting your mindset, you can change your relationship with working out, your body and yourself. If you can learn to cultivate a positive mindset that changes the voice in your head from “I need to lose weight” to “I’m doing this because I actually enjoy it and because it feels good” life, in general, is better. And you can swap those sentences for anything e.g. “I need a promotion because I want more money” could be “I’m going to aim for this promotion because I feel fulfilled when I do my best.”
It’s the way we do things that matters the most. Either belief could get you to your goal… but HOW did you get there? Was it stressful? Was it awful? The journey TO the goal is more important than the goal itself because the journey makes up the days, which makes up the weeks, which makes up the months…. it makes up the LIFE!
They inspire you to keep going
Speaking of feeling challenged, let’s think of it in a more literal sense. Every 2 months inside MerryBody we host Member Only challenges… and it’s here that we see the biggest changes and transformations happen.
There’s this extra level of inspiration and motivation flying around. Each individual member is suddenly connected to a collective mission. We are feeling way more inspired because we’re hearing about others’ experiences. We feel motivated and part of something bigger.
Remember when you were at school and had to do group assignments? Sometimes your group was the best, you shared ideas, you all put in the effort, you got epic results. On the other hand, sometimes you felt like the only one who wanted to do any of the work, you felt let down and like the task was impossible.
This is why group challenges ROCK! You have a collective mission. You jump in. You do your best. You lift others up when they need it. And you feel lifted up when YOU need it.
These exclusive Challenges that empower our Members to focus on specific changes and goals. We’ve done challenges like 30-Day Yoga/Pilates challenge, 5-Day Core Challenge, 7 Day Chakra Program and 21 Day Meditation Challenge and so many more…
RIGHT NOW – our Do it in 20 Challenge is about to begin (and you’re invited). It’s 20 Days, 20 Classes, 20 Meditations… and the best bit? You’ll do it in around 20 minutes a day!
If you want to feel challenged, motivated and accountable, this is for you! We start 20 June.
To join, all you have to do is make sure you’re a MerryBody Member. We will send you all the details to your inbox. That’s daily motivational emails, daily classes and daily meditations. Accessible on-demand, anywhere, anytime.
And now… take a look at the average 5 people you surround yourself with… how’s your crew looking?
Always merrymaking,
e + c