I just returned from my third Mastermind meet up with 90 of my closest friends (we are growing). It had been a year since attending my last Mastermind meet-up. I couldn’t attend one six months ago in the fall of 2017 due to Hurricane Nate coming up the Gulf of Mexico to NW Florida and Mobile Bay where we live. I missed the face-to-face camaraderie with the guys last fall. I have been doing well generally, but recently I have had some struggles that I will go into in this article. This is why a Mastermind Group is so important in our lives and I feel the importance to build upon my previous two articles.
Mastermind Groups are a way to become better as a person, as long as you are willing to invest and commit to the proposition of the idea. If you want to go further, push yourself, then a Mastermind Group is for you.
I am going to continue to expand on the value of a Mastermind Group from the articles I wrote in the past. Here are the links for you to read if you missed the previous two, Mastermind Group - Is It for You? Part 1 December 3, 2016 and Mastermind Group ~ Is It for You? Part 2 April 5, 2017. You will better understand the content of this article by reading the first two.
I am always impressed and encouraged when I take a look at all I have accomplished in the last two years since joining The View From the Top Mastermind Group in April 2016. Life is meant to be lived, but we can run into bouts of the “doldrums” that cause us to be frustrated and unhappy. That was me in recent months, BUT I can say my Iron Sharpens Iron (ISI) brothers are rallying around me.
There is a saying: “Don’t worry about the opposition. Remember a kite rises against the wind, not with the wind” (Hamilton Wright Mabie). This is true and a great reflection on how you should take challenges on when they come, though this does not mean you will be able to see the problems right away.
How am I working through being stuck? I am working on being a kite and trying to rise up while dealing with any adversity I face. So, here are some things that I am doing with my ISI brethren right now.
- Man In the Middle. This is where we come to be the guy, as we call it, sometimes being on the “carving table”. We bring our issues to the group. Over time, trust has been built with the guys and I know they have my best interests at heart. I will admit I HATE and feel very vulnerable when I am the man in the middle. Many times, I am not well prepared coming into my time.
- The main thing is that “no man is left behind”. I will tell you that I would have kicked myself to the curb and moved on from me based on some of my recent discussions. This is the KEY to Masterminds: the group rallies behind and encourages the person and lifts them up. The man who is struggling is responsible for working on his own issues.
- Pride has to be put aside. If you want to get better, you have to humble yourself. You cannot have the attitude that you cannot be “loved”. It is the attitude that you feel you are too hard to be loved by others. You have to be humble and make yourself vulnerable.
- In many cases, you have been neglecting key areas of your life and this is causing your current pain. It could be health, not eating right, or damaging relationships with loved ones by not putting in the effort. It could be financial, like spending beyond your means, or any other areas of life that you have been neglecting and are now causing you pain. Mastermind Groups give you insights and feedback about yourself that you might not even be aware of. Light is being given to the blind spots in your life. They are asking the tough questions.
- Lastly, they are holding me ACCOUNTABLE through ENCOURAGEMENT to make me CAPABLE. Read that again! There is accountability that encourages me to develop the tools I need to become more capable and learn from my circumstances. That quote right there is at the heart and purpose of a Mastermind Group, and the idea is a product of HITOP Life (www.hitoplife.com) run by fellow Mastermind brother, Chris Hewitt.
If you want to do deeper into what our Mastermind Group has achieved, our group of men wrote a book recently. All give different perspectives on what they have gained from our time in the Mastermind. The great thing is there are many different stories from the guys about all kinds of life circumstances. My story may not resonate with you but maybe one of the other guys’ will. If you have an extra $10, you can buy it on Amazon, and it would be well worth your time: Tales of a Mastermind by the Monday 11:30 View From the Top Mastermind
If you are a man or woman looking for deeper meaning in your life and looking for a great way to grow, I encourage you to look for a Mastermind Group in your area. I am going to leave you with one last quote. “To do nothing is in every man’s power” (Samuel Jackson). DO NOT be that person that does nothing.
To Your Success!!!
