Helping Others Also Helps You

All of us have met successful people who claim that they are "self-made." In reality there is no such thing as a completely self-made man or woman. No one achieves his or her success without the help of other people. People who make these claims only prove that it's possible for self-centered people to make money.

Every person who reaches the top of his or her field has been able to do it only because of the substantial help along the way from others. The Law of Sowing and Reaping is the iron law of the universe and it requires that you respond in kind by helping others.

As I look back on my own career through my failures and personal tragedies there has always been someone that has helped pick me up and get through those down times in my life. The same is true in my successes whether it has been starting a new business or making good investment there has always been a mentor close by to help me.

No person is more successful or wealthy than the one who has the time and energy to spend in helping others. Notice I didn't mention money. That's fine too for helping others if you can afford it. But time and effort is even more precious and the payoff in satisfaction and self-contentment is equal to the investment.

One of the richest experiences you'll every have is to be able to point to someone at the peak of his or her success and say: "I helped put him or her there." Your efforts on behalf of someone less fortunate not only helps him or her, but also adds priceless value to your own self-esteem and self-worth. This will be the case every time whether or not that person recognizes your help or is even grateful for it.

Think of the staggering statistics of the number of young people in the United States, the richest country in the world that cannot read or write very well, and many of these are high school graduates. These young adults are our future and it's clear that they aren't going to get what they need to be successful in the 21st Century from high school or even college.

They need the help of mentors. People who have achieved success and can show others how to do it. Show them how the real world works and give them the direction and the confidence to succeed. All the books in the world are no substitute for learning directly from a person who has achieved success in his or her career.

Think of how the world would be transformed if each of us "adopted" someone else to help through life! In turn, each of us would be adopted and receive help. In a small way, it's already happening. But the system, if you can call it that needs to be improved and expanded as part of human progress and civilization.

I'll finish today's message with a favorite quote of mine from best selling author and speaker Zig Ziglar, "You can get anything you want in life, if you just help enough other people get what they want."