You may have heard the word “Mastermind” before. In fact, you may already be a part of one, two, or even several mastermind groups. Groups of like-minded people focused on the same dream, the same goal, or with simply similar attitudes about life.


Or you may not have heard this word. Mastermind. What does it mean? And, more importantly, how can it help you lead the life you want to lead?


Napoleon Hill introduced the concept of Masterminding in his book Think and Grow Rich: “Men take on the nature and habits and the power of thought of those with whom they associate in a spirit of sympathy and harmony.” The very act of bringing different strengths and viewpoints together in the spirit of harmony creates a new force, an additive force, a force that propels every member of the group forward faster than they could ever do on their own.


That force is the Mastermind.


And while Hill describes the principle in detail, he only describes it once. What he repeats over and over again, however, throughout the entire book, is this: The important thing is to get started. It doesn’t really matter if you completely understand everything at this point. Get started.


It’s not a new idea. The Mastermind process is based on an ancient principle that has been proven time and time again: When two or more people come together in a spirit of harmony and trust to work together towards a common purpose or goal, their combined energies are many, many times greater than the sum of their individual energies.


Benjamin Franklin used the mastermind principle. In 1727, at the age of 21, he created the Junto. The Junto was a mastermind group whose members met weekly for discussions on how to improve their community and themselves. The high standard of excellence set for this mastermind group paid off with programs that are still giving great benefits today, after nearly 300 years: public libraries, hospitals, insurance companies, fire departments, street lights, and paved streets.


Mahatma Gandhi gives us another example of how mastermind principles can influence so many lives – in Gandhi’s case, two hundred million people. Gandhi learned the power of working with, learning from, and building upon the wisdom of others. Using these principles, he went on to lead the world as an advocate of non-violent reform for civil rights, working towards unity and freedom, the alleviation of poverty, the liberation of women and more.


Rhonda Byrne, author of the book and popular movie ‘The Secret’, discovered ‘secret’ laws and principles of the universe that totally transformed her life. It became her mission to fully understand these and share this wisdom with the world. As she began her journey, many of today’s greatest living scientists, philosophers, authors, and teachers were drawn to her team. Their combined wisdom and work is now bringing even greater abundance, love, joy, laughter, and light to our planet.


Thru masterminding, we gain valuable insights and bring new perspectives to our work, our personal life and our world. While any group with a “meeting of the minds” focus could be called a mastermind group, it’s interesting to note that many such groups are actually labeled something else: boards of directors, or deacons, study groups, think tanks, power teams, or parent-teacher associations.


In 1999, an idea to bring international leaders together with the intention of improving the world began to take tangible form. Musician and humanitarian Peter Gabriel approached Richard Branson, a British entrepreneur and billionaire and together they began a project based on a shared dream.


As a direct result of their efforts, Nelson Mandela and 12 of the world’s top leaders have come together. This group is now addressing some of the world’s most pressing problems: poverty, climate change, world hunger, AIDS, violent conflicts. Their mission is one of humanity. Their purpose is to ease human suffering, find peaceful resolution to conflict and help to amplify voices for good all over the world.


On July 18, 2007, his 89th birthday, Mandela had the honor of announcing this international mastermind, the Global Elders. Among others, current members include Dr. Desmond Tutu, Nobel Prize winner and South African archbishop emeritus; Jimmy Carter, former U.S. President; Kofi Annan, former U.N. Secretary General; Mary Robinson, human-rights activist and former president of Ireland; Mohammed Yunus, another Nobel laureate and founder of the Green Bank in Bangladesh; and Li Zhaoxing, formerly China’s foreign minister.


In the opening statements, Mandela said: “Together we will work to support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict, and inspire hope where there is despair.” Branson said: “Using their collective experience, their moral courage and their ability to rise above the parochial concerns of nations, they can help make our planet a more peaceful, healthy and equitable place to live.”


One of the best things about mastermind is that anyone can use it. You do not have to be rich or famous to begin. According to his official biography, “A Lifetime of Riches”, Napoleon Hill was born into poverty. Ben Franklin had little formal education. Rhonda Byrne began her journey at a time of personal exhaustion, turmoil and great despair.


This marvelous power is readily available to everyone. It can be as simple as two people working together to solve a problem, or as grand and far-reaching as the Global Elders. The principles are easily learned and you can begin to apply them today. You can support an existing group or build one of your own.


One quick and easy way to get started is to share this idea with a friend. Choose someone that is interested in or looking for positive changes in their own life. Mastermind has a proven track record of success and can be a marvelous tool to use that can help you realize your dreams, reach your goals and make your world an even better place to live!


Questions to ask yourself:


– When have I participated in a mastermind before?

– How could a group like this be of service to me?

– Who do I know that would like to be in a group like this?

– If I could form a mastermind group,
how could it help me and the other members?



About the Author:


John Carpenter Dealey enthusiastically started his first business at age nine, joined his first MasterMind group in 1972, and became a “self-made millionaire” by the age of 27. If you would like to learn how to apply these powerful principles in your own life, sign up for a free subscription to MasterMind Tips ezine at: www.dr-mastermind.com/


To learn more about the Global Elders, here are three websites for you to visit:

www.theelders.org

www.globalelders.com


www.dr-mastermind.com/elders.php


John is dedicated to helping people solve problems, recognize (and take full advantage of) marvelous opportunities available to them and helping people reach their dreams and goals with “ease and grace.” Visit his website at: http://dr-mastermind.com/home.php

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