There is No End to the Spectrum

Recently, I was fortunate enough to meet with Elke Govertsen, publisher of Mamalode Magazine, to discuss PositivelyBusiness Magazine.  She is such a real and dynamic personality!  One of the things she said that has really resonated with me is that it's important to understand we are in this spectrum and just as we look to others as mentors, there is always someone looking up to us as a mentor.

This is really such a powerful concept that helps me to understand there is no end to the spectrum of business and success.  Some people climb this ladder of success carelessly crushing others below them yet never breaking sight of the top rung.  Yet others understand you never really climb a rung without someone providing a helping hand, and reciprocate that "hand up" to those following in their steps, too.  That's Elke.

"As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others." ~ Audrey Hepburn

Living your life, both personally and professionally, with this mindset is a wonderful way to remember the importance of the journey and not so much the destination.  I am a motivated individual, but I understand that no one makes this journey through life alone.  Every successful person has had help...every single one.  I've mentioned before that success is really a subjective term but think about it for just a moment.  Every great leader has had someone who mentored them at some stage in their progression to success.  It could be someone already in their respective field, a religious influence, a parent, a teacher, etc.

Conversely, even though you might not believe you've reached a level in life that meets your aspirations I guarantee there is someone behind you looking for guidance.  Someone who looks at your position and aspires to be there.  What better way to remain grounded in life?  What better way to help you appreciate this journey?  More importantly, what better way to truly be successful in this life than to build up those around you?

What I believe is that there is no "top" rung in this ladder of success.  It is an endless spectrum and we are merely a dot.  We look ahead to help find our way but must never forget to stop and look back to share what we've learned.  We are scouts for the next generation.

"Alexander the Great valued learning so highly that he used to say he was more indebted to Aristotle for giving him knowledge than to this father Philip for life." ~ Samuel Smiles

There is no end to the spectrum.  Mentoring those around us is essential to our own personal success.  Our time on this earth is limited but the impact of imparting knowledge and experience to our kids or our successors is timeless.