During one of my speaking engagements with students in Kumasi some years ago, I posed this question to them: “What are the essentials to success in life?”
They mentioned among others the following-have a dream, vision, a plan, set goals, determination, focus, hard work, believing in oneself, optimism, courage etc. They were right. However, associating with the right people should be added to the list as it is a major factor in the recipe for success.
Let’s examine the lives of three successful people and how their association with the right people contributed in a large measure to their personal development, success and achievement.
Angelina Jolie was a renowned American actress. Both parents were in the movie industry.
When she was about a year old, her parents divorced and her father left leaving behind many unresolved problems.
She had a difficult childhood. She faced many challenges during her school days. Drugs became her “friend” and this nearly ruined her life.
In the midst of these challenges, her mother provided the inspiration she needed to get on with life. It was her mother who saw the potential in her and encouraged her to take to acting. She featured in many movies and was credited with being an amazing actress.
Something beautiful was to emerge from her plight-humanitarianism. At age 26, she adopted her first child and gave much needed assistance to refugees. Of course she had her own biological kids.
Her mother, brother and the kids she looked after made her life tick. The encouragement from her family and kids as well as her humanitarian efforts turned her life from one of misery to the shining lights of peace, joy and happiness.
Her phenomenal success in the movie industry can be attributed to her association with the right people, namely her mother, brother, and children who cheered on with inspiration, positivity and encouragement.
Henry Ford was born on a farm near Dearborn, Michigan, United States. He was the eldest of six children born to his parents, middle-class farmers.
Ford spent most of his time on the farm which he disliked anyway. He wanted to be a mechanic because he seemed to have a knack for this area. Unfortunately his father did not like that idea as he wanted Ford working in the farm.
Ford had to be in a place he could horn his machinist skills. A company employed him to repair watches and steam engines.
His business life was not so rosy. Many of his businesses collapsed. He once said: “Failure is a chance to begin again more intelligently. It is just a resting place. We learn more from our failures than our successes.”
Ford caught a vision to produce cars. In 1892 he produced his first car in his work shed. All this while, Ford worked with Detroit Edison Company as an engineer and machinist.
In 1896, Henry Ford met the great inventor Thomas Edison. After listening to the exploits of Ford and the giant strides he has made, Edison encouraged him, saying: “There is a big future for any light-weight engine that can develop a high horsepower and is self-contained… keep on with your engine. If you can get what you are after, I can see a great future.”
These inspirational words of Edison gave Ford the courage to persevere through what were to be some very bleak years. Despite the hurdles, Ford went on to become one of the most successful industrialists in the United States. Today, his company, Ford Motor Company is the world’s largest producer of trucks, the world’s second largest producer of cars and trucks combined, and one of the largest providers of financial services worldwide.
Jim Rohn was an American motivational speaker, author and entrepreneur. His parents were farmers.
Jim had only a year of college education. In some of the books he authored, he spoke about Earl Shoaff as the one who inspired him to achieve success and great fortune.
Before coming into contact with Shoaff, Jim was a stock clerk in a department store. He was taught many things by his mentor, Shoaff. He was given guidelines on public speaking and writing.
Jim Rohn conducted seminars for 40 years of his life and helped many people gain a deep insight about success and achievement. Most of the strategies he taught were those imparted to him by his mentor.
In all of the above examples, we can see that these highly successful people achieved greatness and they owe much of it to the influence and support of their mentors and influencers. They associated with the right people who provided inspiration, light, support and encouragement.
In conclusion, when we associate with the right people we can bring success and achievement into our own lives as they are a source of social support and encouragement. There is power in associating with the right people. They help us focus on our goals and also provide the motivation for us to gear our efforts towards the achievement of our dreams and vision.
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