C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

 On Solitude and the Company of Others "Associate with the noblest people you can find; read the best books; live with the mighty.  But learn to be happy alone." ~William James Napoleon Hill, the early 20th century motivational speaker and writer who inspired the title of this post. The other day, while having a conversation with my oldest son on the importance of having a good workout partner (or not), I started to think about the importance of who—and even what—we surround ourselves with.  Not counting just life in general, this may be more important than you realize when it comes to building muscle and strength. The title of this essay comes from the early motivational speaker and writer Napoleon Hill.  In one of Hill's lectures, he said this, "The very moment I come into contact with any person who has a bad influence on me, I immediately disassociate myself from that person.  I don't care who it is.  It might even be my mother-in-law or a close relative.  An