There are many things in life that clamour for our attention. Many of these things are completely useless and only eat up our valuable time. If we're not careful these things will drag us down and lessen our quality of life.

We have to be very careful what we subject ourselves to because everything has an influence. We must protect our minds by being careful what we choose to let inside.

If we have hopes of having an extraordinary future there are two critical things that we must monitor.

1. The Books We Read

In 5 years or less you will be the sum total of the books you have read. In other words, you will be the sum total of what you have put into your mind. If what you are allowing into your mind on a regular basis is not in harmony with where you want to be in the future you may want to make some serious changes. Get yourself on a good reading program.

What we focus on becomes attracted into our lives. If we put positive information into our minds we will attract positive circumstances.

2. The People You Associate With

In 5 years or less you will be the sum total of the people you have associated with.

There have been times in my past that I have had to break off some close relationships because of the negativity associated with these particular people. They did nothing but drag me down.

Relationships like that will keep you from getting to where you want to go. I'm not saying that you should stop loving and caring for those type of people, but just love and care for them from a distance. Simply quit hanging out with them.

You don't have to physically associate with negative people to experience their negative effects. Many people associate emotionally with other people via television.

I have a friend who is into a particular soap opera and he says it doesn’t affect him. I disagree. I know this soap well because I was addicted to it myself! After watching it every day for about six years, I was usually left in a paralyzed state of mind. My friend is so accustomed to his state of mind that I know he doesn’t even realize it.

I have another friend who is reading romance novels. She views her real world as lacking romance so she tries to compensate for it by indulging in a fantasy.

I know a lot of people who are into watching scary movies. These shows leave a person with a sense of fear. The Bible says over and over again, “Fear not!”

We absolutely have to choose our associations wisely! Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens the other." How sharp do you want to be?

Conclusion

Where will you be in in the future? Three, four, or even five years down the road? It is a fact that in five years or less you will be the sum total of the books you have read and the people you have associated with.

Are you reading good books and associating with the right kind of people? Or, do you need to get some good books and change a few relationships? The Bible says, "Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23).