This morning, I was listening to my favorite motivational speaker, Brendon Burchard, founder of Growth Day – Personal Development (*) talking about competition and social learning. He reminded me of how important it is to have other like-minded people in your social circle who are striving to make a difference and who also have a message to share.
He also pointed out that you should make sure that you are not the smartest person in the room.
Have a learning mindset.
You need to be able to be inspired by others.
This will shorten your learning curve and make the journey a lot more fun. Learn from people well beyond where you want to be in life. Find people who encourage and energize you.
“There will always be other people who are better at something than you. That is what maturity is”, Brendon reminds us, “knowing that and letting it serve you.”
“Put yourself in situations where you can see how your skill sets measure up to others’ skill sets so you can rank where you are now and where you need to improve and grow,” says Brendon.
For instance, if you want to write a book, get around other authors who have already published a book. If you want to be a photographer, be around people who are more experienced than you are. Want to make YouTube videos? Follow people who are doing what you want to do.
You get the idea.
Also, know that others might possibly be admiring and learning from you. Wouldn’t that be a kick in the head?
I thought about how, several years ago, I would have been “too embarrassed” or “too intimidated” to join a group of people who were clearly more experienced and further along on the path of writing, publication, making money online, etc., than I was. It would have been even more daunting if the group was younger in age than I was.
Now, I look at it as an opportunity to gain new insights. I wish that I could have had that breakthrough years ago, knowing that no one is going to look down on me for not being as accomplished as them. I wish I would have gotten over my insecurities sooner, but I didn’t. I’m here now though. Ready to make up for lost time.
One thing I’ve learned about most folks over the years is that they like to share their knowledge; they like to talk about themselves and their experiences. They will even help you if they are able and feel that you are generally interested in finding out more.
I just joined two different groups of writers, one group of all ages, both male and female, whose main objective is to get a short non-fiction book published. (100-150 pages) .
The other group is all female writers, closer in age to me, whose main objective is to support and encourage each other’s writing in all forms, articles, fiction, and non-fiction.
Being around these writers inspires me to want to be a better writer. Not in a competitive way, but to continue to grow and improve for myself and my readers.
I appreciate the critique and feedback from others. I am embracing the process and yes, learning by taking action, asking questions, and seeking advice from others. I am also willing to share my experiences if there is an interest expressed.
I’m not just sitting at my keyboard, splattering my words out there, and seeing what will stick.
I want to be able to increase my reach and influence with others. To have my voice heard. To inspire and persuade others to also want to improve their lives and pursue what they are passionate about.
That’s what it is all about, right?
My advice for you today is to open yourself up to new experiences and actively engage with others. Be receptive to new ideas and perspectives and embrace the connections and opportunities that stem from them.
Keep smiling! Keep reading! And also, keep learning!
(*) I only recommend products and programs I would use myself, and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that are at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Thanks.
You might also like
