David Jenyns argues that choosing the right people around you shapes your life more than almost anything else. Pick role models and a spouse who pull you toward who you want to become, since those relationships are the only ones you actually control.
Chapters
You want to associate with people that are better than you are, basically, you'll go in the direction of the people that you associate with. And you want to have the right heroes. If you want to emulate somebody, you better pick very carefully who you want to emulate and when. Obviously, you can't pick your parents. They're going to have an enormous influence on you. But you don't get a choice on that. But you get choices as you go down the line and who you admire, who you want to copy. And the most important for most people in terms of that decision is their spouse. It's also important in terms of a partner in business, but the partner in life is the most important one. You want to pick a spouse that's better than you are, and then he or she. You hope they don't figure it out too fast.