Keep good company. Your circles define you and you define them. Have you chosen wisely? Real friends are good for more than a good time. They’ll share the burden of your issues, and bear the discomfort of telling you when you’re an ass. Useful colleagues offer more than high-fives. They’ll share the burden of your failure, and bear the discomfort of telling you how to improve. Support when it’s inconvenient and honest criticism are rare and valuable investments in a relationship. You need them... desperately. Pay them back.