Success Giants

Learning to learn is a subject that doesn’t get enough emphasis from success writers. I’ll admit, I read and listen to a lot of material that could be useful in my life, but very little of it actually sticks.

There are many reasons to learn new skills.

David Moldawer over at lifeclever.com suggested that everybody Learn a New Skill This Holiday. It may be too late now for the holidays, but learning a new skill can breathe energy into a life gone boring. David makes a compelling reason to spend the time learning something fun.

And face it, TV doesn’t “recharge your batteries,” it leaves you feeling more drained than ever.

-David Moldawer

David also gives 7 steps to new skill adoption, which are great tips for learning fun new things. They include: Choose what’s fun over what’s impressive, Start big, Set a goal, Join a group, Eyes off the prize, Go ahead, look silly, & Stop thinking.

Wordpress user jfree suggested that learning a new skill is a good way to keep your mind thinking better.

Learning a new skill works multiple areas of the brain. Your memory
comes into play, you learn new movements and you associate things
differently. Reading Shakespeare, learning to cook and building an
airplane out of tooth picks all will challenge your brain and give you
something to think about.

It’s odd how learning a totally unrelated skill can boost your other skills as well.

Deepak from deepakr.wordpress.com listed 5 Tips For Fast and Effective Learning on his blog. My favorite tip is #3 Think and work on paper. Scratching down notes and brainstorming on paper works much better for me than doing the same things on o computer. I remember it better, and my head puts new concepts together better. So as you’re learning a new skill, writing down notes on it is something worth trying.

Several success giants have left tips that can be helpful to us as well.

For example, Dale Carnegie wrote a book called Public Speaking and Influencing Men in Business, which his wife Dorothy later updated and called The Quick & Easy Way to Effective Speaking.

The book teaches public speaking skills, but there are steps given at the beginning can be useful for learning any skill. He does a similar thing at the beginning of “How to Win Friends And Influence People,” too, where he teaches how to study. (see Studying the Masters if you are interested)

The steps he gives to learning a new skill are these:

1. Take heart from the experience of others
2. Keep your goal before you
3. Predetermine your mind to success
4. Seize every opportunity to practice

Let’s just take a quick look at those steps.

1. Take heart from the experience of others - I think this is important for two reasons. One, It is always helpful to know that people dumber, uglier, and less fun to be around than you have already mastered whatever skill it is you want to learn. Hey, if they can do it, so can you. Two, The fact that you are paying attention to other people’s experiences means you are learning from them.

2. Keep your goal before you - Remembering what you are trying to learn will keep you on track, remembering why will keep you going. Setting and reviewing your goals will remind you.

3. Predetermine your mind to success - Assume that you can learn your new skill, and be determined to do it.

4. Seize every opportunity to practice - This is probably the most important step to learning any skill. Practice is the proof of your desire to learn the new skill. It is also the only way you really get better.

Now go out there and learn a new skill.

Oh, and speaking of James Brausch, a little while ago I won a contest he had on his blog through a post I made on my other blog. I ended up with a big box full of one of his products, namely Earn An Income By Creating Your Own DVD… Even If You Live On A Remote Island With Only Internet Access To The Outside World.

Due to my extreme lack of any real marketing skills, I still have most of them. Anyway, I’d like to be rid of them. He normally sells them for a cool $100 (you can see it here), but I’ll let you buy one for $25. The link below will take you to Paypal if I still have copies left. If not, it’ll tell you I’m out. If you live in the U.S. I’ll pick up the shipping.

OR

If you don’t want to buy one, but you still want a copy, I’m willing to barter. Make me an offer in the comments and I’ll get back to you at the email address you use to post the comment.

Rules:

1. I won’t trade for anything illegal or immoral. (ex: no cocaine or porn)

2. You pay for shipping whatever you want to trade. I’ll pay for shipping the “Earn an Income” dvd to you.

3. I’m open to pretty much anything. Jazz CDs, Sci-fi DVDs, Doc Savage novels, spacepens…

Two of my favorite classic success books are The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino and The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason. Putting teachings into a story seems to give it more weight.

Internet Business maven James Brausch is doing his best to be a modern Og Mandino. On his blog, he’s been releasing a series of fictionalized journal entries that describe how he went from being a drug addict and homeless to finding success and freedom. He has stated that he has compressed the time period and rearranged the events a little, but that the basics of the story are indeed true.

You can read the background on what he is doing here. http://www.jamesbrausch.com/?p=855

Here’s a list of his current fictionalized journal entries. You will need to sign up to receive updates on his blog to get the password. That’s a pretty cheap price to pay, if you ask me.

October 23

October 24

October 25

October 26

October 27

October 28

Ben Franklin is one of the most amazing men that has ever lived. He was wildly successful as an author, political theorist, politician, printer, scientist, inventor, civic activist, and diplomat.

The idea of having a “mastermind” or “brain trust” is not new. Virtually all successful people have had one in some form or another. So what if you could have Ben Franklin be a part of yours?

Ben Franklin’s Mastermind

Napoleon Hill certainly wasn’t the first to discover this technique. Ben Franklin formed his own way back in 1727. It was called the “Junto.” In his Autobiography, he writes about it:

I should have mentioned before, that, in the autumn of the preceding year, [1727] I had form’d most of my ingenious acquaintance into a club of mutual improvement, which we called the Junto; we met on Friday evenings. The rules that I drew up required that every member, in his turn, should produce one or more queries on any point of Morals, Politics, or Natural Philosophy, to be discuss’d by the company; and once in three months produce and read an essay of his own writing, on any subject he pleased.

Our debates were to be under the direction of a president, and to be conducted in the sincere spirit of inquiry after truth, without fondness for dispute or desire of victory;…

Guidelines For Joining Ben’s Mastermind

One of the things Ben said about his mastermind is that they should be able to stand up and answer the following questions correctly. He also included the correct answers, just in case they weren’t obvious.

1. Have you any particular disrespect to any present members? Answer. I have not.
2. Do you sincerely declare that you love mankind in general, of what profession or religion soever? Answer. I do.
3. Do you think any person ought to be harmed in his body, name, or goods, for mere speculative opinions, or his external way of worship? Answer. No.
4. Do you love truth for truth’s sake, and will you endeavor impartially to find and receive it yourself, and communicate it to others? Answer. Yes.

Suggested Topics:

Here’s the list of suggested topics that Ben produced to review on the morning of each meeting, so that by meeting time, you’d have something to say.

1. Have you met with any thing in the author you last read, remarkable, or suitable to be communicated to the Junto? particularly in history, morality, poetry, physics, travels, mechanic arts, or other parts of knowledge?

2. What new story have you lately heard agreeable for telling in conversation?

3. Hath any citizen in your knowledge failed in his business lately, and what have you heard of the cause?

4. Have you lately heard of any citizen’s thriving well, and by what means?

5. Have you lately heard how any present rich man, here or elsewhere, got his estate?

6. Do you know of any fellow citizen, who has lately done a worthy action, deserving praise and imitation? or who has committed an error proper for us to be warned against and avoid?

7. What unhappy effects of intemperance have you lately observed or heard? of imprudence? of passion? or of any other vice or folly?

8. What happy effects of temperance? of prudence? of moderation? or of any other virtue?

9. Have you or any of your acquaintance been lately sick or wounded? If so, what remedies were used, and what were their effects?

10. Who do you know that are shortly going [on] voyages or journeys, if one should have occasion to send by them?

11. Do you think of any thing at present, in which the Junto may be serviceable to mankind? to their country, to their friends, or to themselves?

12. Hath any deserving stranger arrived in town since last meeting, that you heard of? and what have you heard or observed of his character or merits? and whether think you, it lies in the power of the Junto to oblige him, or encourage him as he deserves?

13. Do you know of any deserving young beginner lately set up, whom it lies in the power of the Junto any way to encourage?

14. Have you lately observed any defect in the laws, of which it would be proper to move the legislature an amendment? Or do you know of any beneficial law that is wanting?

15. Have you lately observed any encroachment on the just liberties of the people?

16. Hath any body attacked your reputation lately? and what can the Junto do towards securing it?

17. Is there any man whose friendship you want, and which the Junto, or any of them, can procure for you?

18. Have you lately heard any member’s character attacked, and how have you defended it?

19. Hath any man injured you, from whom it is in the power of the Junto to procure redress?

20. In what manner can the Junto, or any of them, assist you in any of your honourable designs?

21. Have you any weighty affair in hand, in which you think the advice of the Junto may be of service?

22. What benefits have you lately received from any man not present?

23. Is there any difficulty in matters of opinion, of justice, and injustice, which you would gladly have discussed at this time?

24. Do you see any thing amiss in the present customs or proceedings of the Junto, which might be amended?

I find it interesting how many of the questions have to do with service to others. There’s probably a lesson in there somewhere.

There, now go and have Ben Franklin direct your next mastermind meeting.

Read the rest of this entry »

I just came across a great article about a tool that you can use to find the solution to virtually any problem. Basically its this; when you sit down to come up with a solution, sit down until you come up with 100 different solutions. The more you have to think about it, the better ideas your head comes up with.

It seems like most people never really try to come up with solutions for themselves, they just do whatever everyone else does, or rather whatever they’ve heard that everyone else does. And when that doesn’t work, the average person gives up.

It reminds me of a story.

Tony Robbins tells a it in one of his CD sets (this is not a direct quote mind you) where a guy is with Tony and tells him:

“I’ve tried everything.”

To which Tony replies, “Everything? There nothing else you can try?”

“Well I’ve tried a lot of things…”

“How many?”

“Well, really just one thing.”

“And you’ve done it over and over and over…”

When you force yourself to really think creatively, it’s amazing what you come up with. When you don’t, you just come up with the same old stuff, and you get nowhere.

On my brother’s blog, he’s started to discuss some of things he believes important in forming a master mind group. He asked me to check it out and give some input.

First off, here’s some of Napoleon Hill’s tips from Think And Grow Rich

• Ally yourself with a group of as many people as you may need for the creation, and carrying out of your plan, or plans for the accumulation of money…
• Before forming your “Master Mind” alliance, decide what advantages, and benefits, you may offer the individual members of your group, in return for their cooperation. No one will work indefinitely without some form of compensation. No intelligent person will either request or expect another to work without adequate compensation, although this may not always be in the form of money.
• Arrange to meet with the members of your “Master Mind” group at least twice a week, and more often if possible, until you have jointly perfected the necessary plan, or plans for the accumulation of money.
• Maintain PERFECT HARMONY between yourself and every member of your “Master Mind” group. If you fail to carry out this instruction to the letter, you may expect to meet with failure. The “Master Mind” principle cannot obtain where PERFECT HARMONY does not prevail.

In my mind, a master mind group is less about bonding (although you do need to be able to get along) and more about holding each other’s feet to the fire. There is no success without action.

I think one of the reasons Napoleon Hill suggests that you meet so often at first is just so that you can help each other brainstorm quickly and get a plan down so that you can get to the “doing” of your plan.

So what’s the most important attribute to develop if you want to be a part of a successful master mind group? I’d say listening. I’ve blogged about listening before, and it really is a lost art. After all, most people can work out a solution to whatever problem they have if they just get a chance to tell someone who’ll sit quietly and nod.

Advice is fine, but listening is divine.

I had some problems while upgrading wordpress, so bear with me while I’m getting things fixed.

And if I used to have your link in my sidebar, remind me so I can put it back. They all got lost in the collapse.

Let’s start off by listing some famous quotes on thinking.

A man is not what he thinks he is, but what he thinks, he is.

Max R. Hickerson

The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.

Marcus Aurelius

Rarely do we find men who willingly to engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

You become what you think about.

Earl Nightingale

A man is what he thinks about all day long.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

And now for a sidetrack:

Folks that are into personal development or success have been hearing and reading these quotes for years. There is one other quote that is almost always used when we read about thinking, and that comes from the bible.

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

Proverbs 23:7

As it ends up, that’s not really the whole verse. I recently came across an article that contradicts the common interpretation of this verse.

The Bible may or may not teach that you become what you think, but Proverbs 23:7 is of no value whatsoever in determining whether or not this is the case. It is talking about something completely different.

Ivan Maddox (article source)

I think that this conclusion would be a mistake. Here’s the whole verse with the surrounding verses:

Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

Proverbs 23:6-8

To me that says this: Don’t take anything from an evil person. His thoughts prove what he really is. He’s evil, and he’s going to tell you to take his goods anyway. Don’t be fooled, he’s thinking of doing you harm. If you take what he gives you, you’re going to get into trouble.

The important point is this: What the imagined evil man was thinking was the proof of his character.

I believe that what I think is the proof of who I am, and what you think is the proof of who you are. A positive person thinks positive thoughts, an evil person thinks evil thoughts, and a successful person thinks successful thoughts.

Therefore in my opinion, when you take the scripture in context, it means the same thing.

I’ve got a bookshelf full of works by folks like Napoleon Hill, Benjamin Franklin, Earl Nightingale and Dale Carnegie. They were all enormously successful and masters of communication. I could read them a hundred times, and never stop learning. If I could implement the principles in those relatively few works, I would have all the success I could stand.

So why do I bother reading anything by modern authors?

For me, it boils down to this: I am always forgetting to do things I know I should be doing. When I read something new, it can help remind me of the principles I have already learned. Not only this, but different authors have different perspectives on principles. Sometimes things can’t sink in unless I see them in a different light.

Enough of me telling you why I’m not an “old success book” snob. Let’s move on to the whole point of this post.

I recently got a hold of Jason Osborn’s EBook titled, “19 Keys To Creating Success.” In it, he writes about (surprise) 19 different concepts and habits that add to a successful life.

A criticism some might have about “19 Keys” is that there isn’t anything really groundbreaking here. Most of these concepts have been covered by old masters like James Allen and Orison Swett Marden. If you have done much self-development reading, you’ll be used to seeing them. The skill of listening to others has been taught for a long time. Going the extra mile goes back to the Bible.

However, I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all. We internalize concepts through repetition. This ebook was a good reminder to me of things I should be doing.

With most of the “19 Keys” Jason makes sure to include ideas for practical ways to apply the keys. That makes it much easier to start doing something.

One thing I really liked is how many of the 19 keys dealt with communication. It shows up again and again. I think that skill in communication is necessary if you want to be happy.

In my mind, it works like this. Your ability to communicate and your communications drive your relationships. And I mean all of your relationships. With your boss, with your kids, with your neighbor, with the tech support guy on the other end of the phone, everybody. The quality of these various relationships is what provides the emotional environment in which you live. That environment makes all the difference in the world.

All in all, I enjoyed Jason’s ebook, and I think it’s worth a read. Check it out at the link below.

19 Keys to Creating Success

57 pages - $12.77

I have had a copy of Og Mandino’s “The Greatest Miracle in The World” sitting on my shelf next to his “The Gift of Acabar” and “The Greatest Salesman in The World” for a long time now. I really enjoyed the Greatest Salesman, but I wasn’t very impressed with The Gift, so I didn’t know quite what to expect.

As with his other books, Og houses his message within a story. I’m a big fan of this way of writing, and I’m not sure why. It doesn’t even have to be a particularly good story, either. And it’s a good thing, because this story is plenty cheesy.

The story here involves Og’s friendship with an old man named Simon who spends his retirement helping folks who have given up on themselves. Simon is very well read, and has had the opportunity to help many folks. By the time he has met Og, he has developed a method to help anybody regain their self esteem. Once they have that back, they’re able to pull themselves out of the gutter and move on with life.

The principles he teaches are not complex. I suppose many folks would find fault with the simplicity of the final message, but I think it’s a good thing. I believe that principles should come first, and individual techniques later.

The old man’s secret technique is a paper he calls the “Memorandum From God” which a person is supposed to read 100 nights is a row. It would take about 20 minutes to read aloud. I doubt very much that many people would actually do that, but it does say some good things.

The Four main points are

1. Count your blessings - Grateful people tend to be happier. Even the poorest financially usually have a lot to be thankful for.
2. Proclaim your rarity - Don’t be afraid to be yourself. There is no need to do things just because someone else is doing it.
3. Go the extra mile - doing this will lead to success in any endeavor.
4. Use wisely your power of choice - The quality of your life depends on the quality of the choices you make.

I believe these are all excellent principles and if embraced, they can definitely make a difference in one’s life. I did find myself considering how I could implement those four ideas in my life.

I enjoyed the book even though it was a little long winded (especially for such a short book) and a lot cheesy. In the end, I don’t think it will find a permanent place on my “classics” bookshelf.

If you’re interested in a copy, Amazon showed used ones for $0.01 + shipping.

The Greatest Miracle in the World