A plane taking off from Los Angeles to New York makes a tiny error—just a few degrees off course.
At first, it means nothing.
The difference is invisible.
But hour by hour, that small deviation compounds.
Instead of landing in New York, the plane could end up hundreds of miles away.
That’s how life actually works.
Your direction is rarely changed by big decisions.
It’s changed by small, repeated influences:
– The people you spend time with
– The conversations you normalize
– The standards you accept
Each one feels insignificant.
Together, they decide where you land.
The drift is silent.
Warren Buffett once said:
“You’ll drift toward the people you spend time with.”
That drift is your “few degrees.”
Not dramatic.
Not obvious.
But relentless.
The Art of War teaches that outcomes are decided before action—by choosing the right ground.
Your ground is your circle—it determines your direction.
If that is even slightly off,
no amount of effort fixes the destination.
Even Karna—the greatest warrior and generosity personified—saw his destiny shaped by who he stood with.
Bottom line:
A few degrees today can mean a completely different life tomorrow.
You don’t suddenly end up in the wrong place.
You get there one small drift at a time.
Let us choose our associations carefully
- By Shiva Duvvuru, CPA. email: admin@taxcircle.com