You are shaped by two things.

Charles "Tremendous" Jones was a well known motivational speaker. One of his best known quotes was “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for two things, the people you meet and the books you read.” There is a lot of truth in those words.

We are shaped by the books we read. Unfortunately, the average American reads about four books a year, and many of them are for entertainment, not for personal growth. That's the average which means some read even less! Compare that to the reading habits of some of America's most successful people.

• When Warren Buffett started his investment career he read 600-1000 pages a day and still spends about 80 percent of each day reading. When asked about the keys to success he replied that people need to read 500 pages a day to be successful.
• Mark Cuban reads about three hours a day to stay current on changes in business and technology.
• Bill Gates reads approximately 50 books a year. He never goes anywhere without a book to read when he has a few minutes.
• Believe it or not, Elon Musk learned how to build rockets through reading.
• Tony Robbins had a difficult childhood and poured himself into reading. He read 700 books in seven years that focused on anything that could improve one's life.

Someone reading this might argue that they don't have time to read 500 pages a day. I understand that. But, we need to remember that these people were not billionaires when they began their reading habits. They were just starting out trying to make their mark in the world. They had very little extra time to read, but they also realized that they needed to increase their knowledge if they wanted to succeed. They invested in themselves.

My goal is to read one book a week. Most of these have been non-fiction. I focus much of my reading on books about leadership, personal growth, theology and ministry. With the shelter-in-place in effect, I will, at a minimum, double the number of books I normally read in a year.

Maybe reading isn't easy for you or you are someone who just doesn't enjoy reading. No problem. With books on audio, many available for free from your library, and podcasts you can listen to the books that will help you grow and become more successful.

The second thing he mentioned was the people we meet. I like to spend as much time as possible with positive, upbeat people. These are the people who lift you up every time you are around them. They believe in you which helps you believe in yourself. I avoid toxic people as much as possible. These are the ones who are going nowhere with their lives and don't want anyone else to accomplish anything either.

When I am with people in this second group as a part of ministry, it is to help encourage them, build them up to where they can see their potential. I want them to begin to see new possibilities that can be theirs if they begin to make better choices in their lives. What I don't allow them to do is to discourage me or pull me into their negativity.

It's important to meet people who have been where you want to go in life. They've walked where you want to walk, and they know where the dangers lie. Many of them are willing to pass on what they've learned, if they sense you really want to learn.

If you want to enjoy success in every area of your life, it's important that you choose to spend time reading good books that will point you in the right direction. It's equally important that you choose relationships that will be positive and uplifting for each of you. These choices have significant consequences attached to them.