Mastering The Art Of Success

(^) Ralph Ford
(^)
FORD
People learn in a myriad of ways. Sometimes, if you are a Doubting
Thomas you must “see the man to get the plan” and go to seminars. If it
is someone you want to adopt as a mentor, go to the head of the class.
That i s, s it up front, approach him or her on break time, and if the
person is providing material, buy it all and h ang back to express your
interest in the individual’s discipline. Then start the e-mail Q & A.
There are thousands of seminars held every year on a kaleidoscope of
topics and professions. Everything from achievement to zeal. Attending
seminars with big hitte rs can bring y ou instant vision with precision.
I once attended a sales caravan in Kansas City where Art Linkletter,
Paul Harvey, and the late, great, Red Motley were speaking. Red said,
“Nothing happens until someone sells something to somebody.” You
must sell yourself to your mentors and show them h ow sincere you are
about pushing the envelope on your learning curve.
It took my personal contact with Paul Harv ey to help me realize that it
ta kes much less time to say what’s wrong with America than what’s
right with America. It is still the land of opportunity. I say synchronize
with successful mentors and, as Paul said, “You can out-do you, if you
really want to.” No matter how often you attend seminars, if it ’s your
passion, they get your juices flowing and your adrenalin going.
You must learn from the leaders. Samuel Clemens once said, “I’d
ra ther have an old second-hand diamond than none at all.” With tongue
in cheek, Mark Hansen said, “If you steal as many ideas as I do, th ey
ca ll it research.” The point is well taken. We must never falter in our
educational triathlon.
Cavett Robert advised me to be a human engineer and practice the
art or scienc e, depending how difficult it is for you, of
“humaneering.” Be a student of human nature. Be a good listener.
Imitate all that is best in each pro you know. Imitate until you can
emulate and emulate until you can surpass. Remember, the great
leaders want you to excel and fly higher than they themselves have ever
flown. To absolutely max your lear ning curve, start mentoring those
who have not r eached your level of expertise, even if it ’s not all that
much. We always teach that which we need to learn the most. Every
time I write a lesson plan and