SphEARS of Inlfluence

Man is not an Island and the quality of our life is influenced by the people we share it with and the proximity they get to influence our decisions day to day.

The challenge is to make sure we are not only surrounding ourselves with the right people, it is also critical that we choose which ones we take which advice from. 

Take a moment to consider everyone in your life and how they fit within your SphEARS of Influence™—a concept and model created by Fiona Ellis, Founder of the Archetypal Integration Method™.

Yes, SphEARS because it's the people we speak and listen to consistently that are bringing us up or pulling us down in our results. This published model by Fiona Ellis is referenced in personal development, coaching, and integration work across Australia and globally

Intimacy – Into Me I See

This person/people should be the closest and most accurate reflection of you. Ideally, this is your intimate partner, potentially close family, mentor, or best friend. These people must believe in you And with you and get to be a sounding board and have a say in all major decisions in your life as they are most directly influenced too.

Inner Circle

These people are some of your greatest champions and cheerleaders. They believe IN you or WITH you in different areas of your life but perhaps not across all areas. They are often indirectly impacted by your decisions and can have a great sounding board capacity, great to bounce ideas off however be mindful about taking their advice because they may not understand the full ramifications of your decisions if they don’t believe in you.

Outer Friends

These people may have things in common but not necessarily share the same values or skill sets so should be valued for their company but not necessarily for their decisions. These people may not always have your best interests at heart especially if it negatively impacts their own. Some of these people only like you at your best, some of them only like you at your worst and their opinions should be considered this way. These people may be extended family or friends of friends that need to be kept in your life but shouldn’t feature in your day-to-day life as their values may not be the same as yours. Some people in this group I use as counter opinions because their values are so different to mine that if they are against an idea, I know I am on the right track!

Acquaintances

These are people you see at work or social events but otherwise have very little in common with. These people may be very loud with their judgments and opinions but they have very little if any bearing on your own. Many of the people in this category would be happy to see you fail or don’t actually care at all so send kindness and let everything else go.