masterwordsmith-unplugged

Have you ever noticed how dependent we are on others?

If you're good at something, chances are, other people helped you along the way. A musician is usually trained by another musician. An athlete achieves excellence because she trains hard and is well coached. A wise man became that way because of books, schools and centuries of accumulated wisdom to draw upon. No matter your field, you are probably good largely because of the work and help of others!

Author William A. Cohen in his book THE ART OF THE LEADER (Prentice Hall, 1990), tells about a man whom most people will recognize. His name is Napoleon Hill.

Hill was a young newsman around the turn of the last century. He interviewed steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie was then one of the wealthiest men alive. He convinced Hill to devote twenty years of his life to a study of what made people successful. Carnegie helped Hill by giving him introductions to the mightiest, wealthiest, and best-known men of his day. These included Henry Ford, Theodore Roosevelt, Charles Schwab, George Eastman, John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Edison and others. (Personally, I wish the list contained the names of women, too, but this was a hundred years ago.)

The young Napoleon Hill discovered an amazing fact from his research. None of these successful individuals became successful strictly by themselves or by virtue of what they could do by themselves. Every single one of the successful individuals that Napoleon Hill interviewed excelled in their fields through the help of others. Talented as these people may have been, they needed the expertise, leadership and talents of other people in order to move to new levels.

The lesson we learn is this: We need other people - especially if we are to improve. If you want to excel, if you are ready to move to the next level professionally, economically, or in any other way, there are those with the skills and the desire to assist. You'll never do and be what you are capable of doing and being until you turn to the right people to aid your success. There are those better than you in the areas you want to improve. Find them...and use them.

A German proverb states, "When one helps another, both are strong." Conversely, when two go it alone, both are weaker. It may be time to reach out...and move ahead.

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Steve Goodier's books & newsletter: http://LifeSupportSystem.com.