The Whole Package
Throughout the early part of my life, I was a competitive athlete participating in football, track, and Olympic weightlifting. I dealt with dozens of coaches throughout these competitive pursuits. Great coaches are a combination of cheerleaders and task masters. They constantly praise you for what you’ve done while encouraging you to do better. My late, great friend and mentor, legendary Coach John Wooden—whom the record books will confirm as the greatest coach of all time—often told me, “Some of my players needed a comforting pat on the back, and others need a pat a bit lower and lot harder.”
Recently, I have launched a collaboration with my colleague Steve Forbes. Here’s a link to an event we did together: www.tulsatownhall.com. He is a great student of life and success. He has the ability to both support and encourage my best efforts while challenging my thinking and my performance. This is a valuable combination that you should only accept from the most trusted people in your life.
I have long believed and often stated that you should never take advice from anyone who doesn’t have what you want. Recently, I heard a very wise person say, “I never accept criticism from anyone whose advice I wouldn’t take.” In my pursuits as an author, movie producer, TV and radio commentator, and creator of these columns, I am open to any and every possible criticism. I have sold millions of books, and each of them has my contact information in them encouraging my readers to reach out to me.
For over two decades, each of my weekly syndicated columns—including the one you’re reading right now—tells my readers how to get in touch with me; so as I’m sure you can imagine, I’m not lacking for feedback. Most of it is overwhelmingly positive, but when we occasionally get criticism, I have to make a decision as to whether the criticism is constructive or not.
I try to ignore critics who do not include their name and contact information as well as those who want to criticize my work without providing some positive thoughts or suggestions. But all of us need those key people in our inner circle who bring us the means to feel good about what we’ve done while visualizing how we can do better.
One of my most beloved college professors, Dr. Harold Paul, stayed in touch with me after I graduated. He read my first 20 books before he passed away. After reading each of my new titles, he contacted me offering enthusiastic praise and encouragement, but I will always remember his most constant reminder, “This is undoubtedly the best book you have written, but it’s not the best book you’re going to write.”
Find people like Steve Forbes and Dr. Paul, and you will exceed your own expectations.
As you go through your day today, find those who will be both your coach and your cheerleader.
Today’s the day!