The Circle of Five Chairs

Chapter 1 – Father’s Advice

Julien was complaining again that Sunday.
He joined his father in the garden, hands in his pockets, dragging his words like a bag too heavy to carry.

— “Dad, I’m fed up… I feel like nothing is going right. My job is terrible, my friends don’t understand me, and honestly… sometimes I wonder what it’s all for.”

His father stopped dead in his tracks. The spade still stuck in the soil, he set his gloves on the edge of the garden bed. He looked at Julien with gentle firmness.

— “Julien, listen carefully. We are the average of the people we spend time with. If you surround yourself with people who weigh you down, you’ll grow heavy. If you choose people who lift you up, you’ll rise.”

Julien frowned.
— “The average of the people…?”

— “Yes. Imagine five chairs around you. Place the five people you see the most on them. You are the average of these five chairs. Think carefully about who you invite to sit close to you.”

Julien remained silent. These words, simple but sharp, pierced him like an arrow.

Chapter 2 – The Five Chairs

That evening, he returned home, still haunted by his father’s advice. In his living room, almost instinctively, he arranged five chairs in a circle. Then he sat in the middle, closed his eyes… and let them appear.

The first chair – Thomas

Thomas appeared first, slouched, a beer in hand.
— “Honestly, Julien, life sucks. Your boss is a crook, politicians are all corrupt.”
Julien sighed. Every time he saw Thomas, he left feeling heavier than before.

The second chair – Élodie

Élodie emerged, strong perfume, loud laugh, ironic smile.
— “Did you hear? Julie embarrassed herself again in front of everyone. People are so pathetic.”
Julien felt uneasy. With her, he sometimes laughed… but always at the expense of others.

The third chair – Karim

Then came Karim, the old friend. Cap on his head, he patted Julien’s shoulder.
— “Remember college? Those were the good times… Now, it’s just work-home-sleep. Don’t expect too much.”
Karim cared, yes. But Karim no longer had dreams.

The fourth chair – Sophie

Suddenly, the circle brightened. Sophie entered, hands stained with paint, eyes shining.
— “Yesterday, we painted a children’s center. They were so happy! Come next time, you’ll see…”
Julien felt his heart open. She wasn’t criticizing—she was building.

The fifth chair – Marc

Finally, Marc appeared. Simple suit, honest smile.
— “So Julien, how’s your project coming along? If you want, I can connect you with someone who can help.”
With him, Julien believed in his own abilities again. Every conversation made him grow.

Julien opened his eyes. The contrast was brutal. Three voices weighed him down. Two lifted him up.
And suddenly he understood: his father had been right. His life was nothing more than the average of these chairs.

Chapter 3 – Difficult Choices

The following days were a test.
Thomas called:
— “Come have a beer, let’s talk about this rotten world.”
Julien hesitated… then declined.

Élodie sent a mocking message, but he didn’t reply.
As for Karim, he saw him one last time. Julien listened to him talk about the “good old days,” then gently said:
— “Karim, I care about you, but I can’t stay stuck in the past. I need to move forward.”
Karim shrugged, a little offended. But Julien knew he had to cut that tie.

Meanwhile, he called Sophie. He joined her in her volunteer work. Every child’s smile reignited a light he thought had gone out.
With Marc, he dared to talk about his ambitions. Following his advice, he changed jobs. Gradually, he surrounded himself with passionate, demanding, yet kind colleagues.

Julien discovered that by changing his circle, he was changing his life.

Chapter 4 – Return to the Garden

A month later, he went back to see his father.
His father greeted him, wiping his dirt-covered hands.

— “So, my son?”

Julien smiled. His eyes shone with a new energy.
— “Dad… you were right. I did the sorting. I listened to my chairs. And… I’m starting to be proud of myself again.”

The old man placed a hand on his shoulder, without a word. Then he suggested:
— “Come on, let’s take a little walk.”

They walked down the tree-lined path. The father walked slowly, the son beside him, matching his quiet pace.

— “Thank you, Dad.”
— “No need to thank me. You just learned to sit in the right place.”

Julien laughed. For the first time in a long time, he felt light.
And deep down, he knew his circle had changed. And that he had changed too.

✨ Moral: We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. To grow, we must learn to choose our chairs wisely.