“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”
Helen Keller
The more you grow as a person, the more you will desire to act and accomplish. As you become more, you will desire to give more. You will create ways to bring into reality the dreams of your heart. You can do a lot on your own, but when you align yourself with others of like mind, amazing things happen and tend to happen quicker.
You have heard the old saying that “two heads are better than one”, and it is true so long as the “two heads” in question are in harmony with each other. Of course, you’re not limited to just two people, but the point is that in order for the old adage to be true the minds of those involved must share a similar mindset and are allied together in a common purpose or goal. It cannot be overemphasized that the individuals you ally yourself with must share your vision and your mindset. If this is not true little will be accomplished beyond debating the how-to’s of the vision. This does not mean you will agree on every detail, but it means you will have the ability to merge your ideas together in such a way that the best plan is developed and then executed.
The coming together of like minds has become known as a Master Mind Group. Though Napoleon Hill coined that term around eighty years ago, the principle has been around since there have been humans on the earth. It is powerful and it works. In fact, if you wish to do great things and influence others you will only by working together with others.
Have you ever been involved in any sort of brainstorming session? It could have been a formally planned meeting or just a group of your friends shooting out ideas on a particular topic. If so, I bet you noticed that you came up with thoughts and ideas that would have never occurred to you had you been sitting home alone.This is an example of the power available to you when you combine your mind with another toward a common goal. Whenever two or more people come together in a spirit of harmony, and shared vision, each person’s power of thought increases.
To better explain what I mean I’ll borrow an analogy that was used by Napoleon Hill. Most people know that a group of electric batteries will provide more energy than one battery by itself. A single battery will indeed provide power, but connect in series a group of batteries and the power that becomes available increases greatly. The human brain operates in a similar way. When you “connect” your brain with the brains of others, who are in harmony, the thought energy that is available will increase significantly. Additionally, that increase of energy becomes available to every individual in the group.
You will see this principle in action all around you. Whether it’s a large company that has become wildly successful, a particular church group or any other organization that has broad power and influence, look and you will see the Master Mind principle at work. When you understand the power and impact of such a group, you can see the great importance of choosing carefully those with whom you surround yourself.
If you’re wondering how many people should be in such a group, there really isn’t a right or wrong answer, but a relatively small number seems to work best. Many groups have anywhere from two to ten members, though you’ll find exceptions I am sure. Within these groups, by sharing and discussing ideas, you will receive both inspiration and helpful criticism. This process helps everyone to grow and develop as you work together to realize your shared vision.
“None of us is as smart as all of us.”
Ken Blanchard
Creative vs Competitive
Keep in mind that in order for the principle of the Master Mind Group to work, you must have a creative disposition rather than a strictly competitive one. You’ll hear this often in a business context. A business with a creative mindset will always offer more in value than what they ask for in return, often times even providing value without asking for anything in return. This principle is even more powerful when practiced by you and me. Think of the impact your life will have when, in all of your relationships, you consistently give more in value than what you ask for in return. Whatever your desires and plans may be, if they are born out of a creative mindset they will always add value to another in some way.
If the advancement of your plans requires something to be taken away from another person, or that you must “beat them to it”, then you’re operating from a competitive mindset. When you have a competitive mindset you tend to operate with a view that resources are scarce and that things are always hard. You’ll think that in order to win, someone else must lose. With a competitive mindset your focus is on yourself, how you will benefit and what you will get out of it.
On the other hand, when you operate from the position of a creative mindset you have the view that there is enough for everyone. You will want any undertaking you involve yourself in to increase life and be a benefit to everyone involved. A creative mindset will give you the desire to always do and be your best regardless of what you are doing. With a competitive mindset you’ll usually be happy with whatever is good enough to beat out the other guy.
It’s not difficult to see which mindset creates a better world.