Most people walk through life with an invisible script that reads something like this: “Life is supposed to be hard, and success is for other people.” They’ve been conditioned to believe that if something good happens, it’s just a matter of time before something bad follows. This mindset isn’t just pessimistic—it’s limiting. And it’s often the very thing that sabotages their chances of breaking free from mediocrity.
This self-sabotage is no accident. It stems from what psychologists call a “homeostatic state“—a psychological baseline where your beliefs, behaviors, and expectations about life return you to familiar ground. When you deviate from that baseline with a win or a new opportunity, your subconscious often works to bring you back into alignment with your old self-image. It’s like a thermostat kicking on to maintain the same emotional temperature, even if it’s keeping you stuck in a lukewarm life.
Now here’s the kicker: this mindset isn’t just internal. It’s reinforced by the people around us.
If you work a steady job and earn an average income, chances are most of your friends are in the same boat. You share the same beliefs about what’s “realistic,” what success looks like, and how risky is too risky. These relationships create an echo chamber, one that keeps you safely inside the lines—never too successful, never too bold, and never too fulfilled.
Entrepreneurs, however, think differently. Even though they often associate with others at a similar level of success, their mindset diverges sharply from the norm. They don’t see risk as something to be avoided—they see it as the price of entry. They don’t resent other people’s success—they study it. They believe that success is not only possible—it’s probable, with the right strategies and associations.
That’s why changing your circle is one of the most powerful things you can do to shift your own belief system.
Want to be wealthy? Spend more time with wealthy people—not because of what they have, but because of how they think. Want to start a business? Hang out with other entrepreneurs. Listen to their stories, adopt their mental models, and let their belief systems stretch your own.
It’s not about ditching your old friends or putting on airs. It’s about exposure. Just like you become fluent in a language by immersing yourself in it, you become fluent in success by immersing yourself in environments where success is normalized.
Entrepreneurs naturally do this. They attend mastermind groups, join startup incubators, and seek out mentors. Not because they want to brag or compare bank accounts—but because they know that who you spend time with shapes who you become.
If your current circle keeps dragging you back to your old homeostatic state, maybe it’s time to expand your circle.
Who do you know who is an entrepreneur? And how can you spend more time learning from their mindset?
