“If you surround yourself with greatness, some of it is bound to rub off.”
That quote is attributed to Earl Nightingale (March 12, 1921 – March 25, 1989) who was an American motivational speaker and author, known as the “Dean of Personal Development. Author of the Strangest Secret, which economist Terry Savage has called “…One of the great motivational books of all time“. Wow, pretty impressive, isn’t it?
When the Strangest Secret was published in 1956, it shattered all the previous book sale records. He encouraged us to ‘think for ourselves’ and make our own trail rather than ‘follow the followers.’
Here we are, 50+ years later, and his message continues to captivate audiences around the world. When I recently heard his quote “If you surround yourself with greatness, some of it is bound to rub off.”, it inspired me to learn more about he man who had such a command of thought and word. What a surprise to learn he was ‘just a person’ like you and I – two legs, two arms, two eyes, two ears – and so on. No special attachments, enhancements or add-ones.
What made him so special, for me, is that he asked the questions, had the conversations and inspired thoughts that others had not considered. Was he an inventor? Perhaps in the broadest sense of the word, he was. Just as he was an inventor, you and I can be inventors. We have the incredible opportunity to create our lives, re-invent our thinking and discover the magical talents and abilities that reside in each of us. We have the opportunity to ask new questions, discover new answers and reveal more of our uniqueness to the world.
If you want to be a winner, hang out with other winners. If you want to be an inventor, hang with other inventors.
Be creative, be courageous and be committed to creating the life you want to live – dream it, invent it and make it real. You have the abilities. What would you like your moniker to be?
Susan