Learning From Others

If I wanted to become a failure, I would seek advice from

persons who never succeeded. If I wanted to succeed in all
things, I would look for those who are succeeding and do as they
have done.
There is great significance in that statement. Letting the
wisdom of these words sink in can be a magnificent revelation.
They reinforce a message we often forget. How many times
have you engaged in an activity and spent countless, fruitless
hours attempting to complete the task only to end up
unsuccessful? How often could you have been successful if you
had only looked around for the lessons life offers?
We don’t have time to constantly reinvent the wheel.
Someone already did that and our job is to simply use the
invention as best we can to complete a life activity. By taking
advantage of what other people have already done, we can
multiply our effectiveness and achievements. Doesn’t that sound
like a good idea to you?
What is the reality? Every day we can find examples of
people ignoring what history teaches. We seem doomed to
repeat failure. One such lesson is constantly forgotten. It’s the
lesson about the free lunch. By this I mean seeking something
without exerting any effort. We have all seen government
programs, designed with the best intentions, eventually prove
unworkable because the core value is the free lunch concept.
Something for nothing is exactly that—nothing!
Recipients eventually move from expectation to demand. They
continue to ask for more while doing less. We forget the fish
story—feed a man a fish and you only provide food for that day.
Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Officials legislate without accountability and responsibility.
That is a recipe for failure.
How many have ventured into new businesses without
ever looking at the success techniques people before them have
used in similar circumstances. Taking advantage of what others
have learned could save time and money and ultimately be the
difference between success and failure.
Within the National Speakers Association, we have a
unique practice that is a positive illustration of learning from
others. It is known as our Mentor Program. Even though we are
competitors for the opportunities available within our industry,
we also believe that if we can make our competitors better, the
value of and demand for our services will increase.
We have established a very successful mentor program in
our New Orleans NSA chapter. An experienced speaker is
paired with a person wishing to develop a career as a
professional speaker. Through a structured process, mentor and
mentee get together at regular intervals to plan the mentee’s
career. No secrets exist. Each mentor is genuinely interested in
the progress of his or her mentee and willingly shares
information about the speaking business. This one-on-one
mentoring shortens the learning curve and helps jump start the
beginning speaker.
The program established in New Orleans has proved to
be so successful that our model is being used by all chapters
within NSA. Mentoring is a proven method where learning from
others can produce dramatic results.
Every generation seems determined to forge its own way
and, in the process, ignore the lessons of the past. Youngsters
don’t want to listen to the experience of their parents. They want
to make their own mistakes. Fortunately, most wake up in later
years and discover how much wisdom time had bestowed on
their parents. It is unfortunate, however, that we spend so much
of our youth ignoring parental experience.
What is the answer? It helps if you move through life
with an inquisitive and open mind, with a mind working like a
sponge. It helps if you absorb the lessons life offers. Life is an
eternal teacher and it is our roll to be the model student. Pay
attention to what life offers and you’ll end up an honor student.
Few things in life are as valuable as the experience of
others. We don’t have enough time in our journey for success to
repeat worthless experiences. By paying attention to what has
happened in the past and to what is happening right now, we
shorten the trip to maximum potential. Learn the lessons that are
all around us. If we learn more than the average person, we will
quickly become above average!
Other people’s experience is an important component of
your search for success. Don’t let this resource go untapped.
Using it can really shorten the trip!