income to donate to this cause—1 to 10 percent of your income,
depending on what you can afford. Practice this consistently for
three months and you will certainly notice a profound shift in your
thinking about money. Clearly this method works best when done
without guilt. You are not obligated to give your money away. It’s
your money. Use it as you like and don’t let people or organizations
seeking contributions use guilt to manipulate you.
Benefiting from Peer Group Influence
Most parents are concerned about peer group influences on their
children. What is a peer group? A peer group consists of those peo-
ple whose approval and acceptance is important enough to you that
you are willing to modify your behavior, at least a little, in order to
maintain your membership in the group. Now, this desire for con-
nection and association with others is a normal impulse we all expe-
rience. The important question is whether the peer group you have
chosen moves you forward or holds you back. In other words, does
your natural desire for association and connection aid you or hin-
der you in the expression of your purpose?
Our society has mixed feelings about excellence. On one hand,
our society finds excellence extremely attractive. This value tran-
scends culture, gender, race, and all other classifications. Every four
years, billions (yes, billions) of viewers around the world tune in to
watch the Olympics, a display of athletic excellence.
On the other hand, our society feels that excellence rocks the
boat. Show up in your peer group with a new ring way more expen-
sive than anyone else has or with a luxury car and notice the body
language. Pay close attention. This is all part of building higher sen-
sory acuity.
In order to make improvements in any area, you must trust and
believe in something inside of you that is superior to your current
external circumstances. What is the general mode of communica-
tion within your peer group? Is it mostly support and encourage-
ment for your internal aspirations? Or is it compassion for
complaints about external circumstances? Now, there is clearly
nothing wrong, evil, or malicious about compassion for complaints.
However, as you may have already noticed, it does not move you for-
ward. In extreme cases, people rely on their complaints for atten-
tion, significance, and connection.
Benefiting from Peer Group Influence 105