Why having successful friends can make you successful, too

There’s nothing like the feeling we each get when we reach a goal we have been working toward for seemingly forever. Maybe it’s working at the dream job or finally getting that promotion. Whatever the situation, the taste of success is sweet, at least when we’re the ones succeeding. But what if a friend is the one who landed the amazing job? Though we hate to admit it, sometimes that doesn’t feel as good, especially if we haven’t found our own success yet, whatever that means to each of us. It’s not that you begrudge your friend that happiness, but, at least for some people, there’s that feeling of competition going on. It’s OK to feel that, but there’s reason to nip that jealousy in the bud, and not just for the sake of your friendship (though that’s important!). It’s because having a friend who’s out there killin’ it will only help you kill it too.

No one is successful all the time (except maybe Taylor Swift!). We each have our slumps, and then it just so happens that’s when we notice our friends are killing it in their careers or some other aspect of life. Part of being a good friend is being happy for each other, supporting one another in good and bad times, but there is an additional reason to support our friends’ success. When our friends are successful, chances are we can become successful, too. Here’s how.

We can learn from them

As we watch and help members of our friend squad climb to the top, we should be asking ourselves an important question: How do they do it? Do they put in endless hours at the office, or are they always there to solve a problem before their clients even know they have one? If we observe our friends as they push forward to the head of the game, we should be able to learn a thing or two about how they do it and apply that knowledge to our own lives.

They show us success is possible

For those of us who have high aspirations, it can sometimes seem like our goals are unattainable. Not when we have accomplished friends, though. When we see people we know — not just celebrities, politicians or other seemingly untouchable people — achieve their goals, it makes us see that success is possible. It’s not just for other people. We can live our dreams, too.

They motivate us

Confidence and determination can be contagious. When we see people consistently reaching for and working to achieve their goals, it makes us want to step up, too. Being around other people who are passionate and strive for what they want in life can motivate us to rise to the occasion.

They encourage us

Our buddies who are successful have been where we are now and know the struggle is real. These friends likely took risks and faced hardships but stayed the course because they believed in themselves and likely had other people believe in them as well. They will help us when times are tough by encouraging us not to give up. And if these friends think we can do something, we will believe them since we trust their judgment. They can probably give us great advice to reach our own success.

They know other successful people

Our successful friends have other successful friends. This is great for networking. They’ll introduce us to people who may be able to help us reach our goals (and we should be willing to return the favor!). Others will see that our pals are ambitious, creative and hardworking, and they will likely think we are, too.

They will support us when we succeed

Good friends want to see their friends succeed. Our BFFs who are successful will not only support us as we are climbing our mountain, they will celebrate with us when we reach the top. That’s part of what being a good friend is. When we are there for our friends when they succeed, as well as when they don’t, we are supporting them. Good friends will do the same for us.

[Image via Instagram]

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