How To Be Motivated By My Mentor
Inspirational mentoring: Mentorship that matters
In the years that I prepared myself to become a writer of motivational and inspirational material, I spent a lot of time studying some of the greatest thinkers who have ever lived. One of these was Ralph Waldo Emerson. He lived in the 1800’s and is well remembered as one of America’s most influential authors and thinkers.
While reading hundreds and hundreds of motivational books, I kept discovering quotes that were attributed to this man. I wasn’t satisfied to read hand-me-down quotes, and so I made a point of finding the original quoter of the quotes, Emerson himself. It is quite ironical that Emerson once wrote, ‘I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.’
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s books were not to be found on the shelves of my local bookshop or the shelves of my local university library. I had to search through their musty archives to find them, and it was there that I discovered copies of his original volumes. These leather bound books were well over a hundred years old, and their pages so fragile that I had to carefully turn each and every page in case they fell apart in the process.
Reading His Writings Was Like Drinking Honey
As I spent hour upon hour reading his wise words, in the basement of that university, I remember sharing with a friend, that reading his writings was like drinking honey. Even though his language had a 19th Century flavor, there was a depth in his writings that I had rarely experienced whilst reading most contemporary motivational books. From those volumes I chose the subjects that appealed to me, took reams of notes in pencil and then typed them up for future reference. All in all I summarized eight of his volumes, through the eyes of someone who had a keen interest in personal development.
Just the other day I once again dug out those old summaries and realized that these notes have formed the very foundations of my work to this day. As I waded through the wealth of material, I noticed that many of his writings focused on subjects that I share quite often through my Motivational Memos. Some of the subjects Emerson covered are: discipline, self-reliance, experience, character, power, wealth, behavior, books, courage, success, inspiration, the sovereignty of ethics and much, much more. These summaries are probably the most precious motivational and inspirational materials in my possession.
In my opinion, Ralph Waldo Emerson is the mentor of the mentors and I know that these writings have been responsible for my own success as a writer and as a motivator.
Throughout the years Emerson’s writings have been quoted over and over by thousands of motivational authors and speakers alike. Why have they done that? Because his wisdom cuts to the core, even to this day. He has the uncanny ability to take everyday subjects and draw from them life-changing lessons that inspire individuals into action.
In this volume I have highlighted passages that I personally found helpful, from the point of view of someone who is interested in material relating to personal development.
But before you enter the world of Emerson, summarised in The Motivated Mentor, I’d like to share just a few gems from his writings. Here is your opportunity to associate with a GIANT:
The Motivated Mentor
- To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men – that is genius.
- Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.
- Do that which is assigned you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much.
- Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.
- Like the wounded oyster, he mends his shell with pearl.
- Always do what you are afraid to do.
- What is the hardest task in the world? To think.
- Good thoughts are no better than good dreams, unless they are executed.
- Divine persons are victory organized.
- Humility is the secret of the wise.
- Thus the so-called fortunate man is one who…relies on his instincts, and simply does not act where he should not, but waits his time, and without effort acts when the need is. If to this you add a fitness to the society around him, you have the elements of fortune.
- Here are the two capital facts, genius and drill.
And a final word from Emerson:
The enthusiast always finds the master, the masters, whom he seeks. Always genius seeks genius, desires nothing so much as to be a pupil and to find those who can lend it aid to perfect itself.
May you benefit from this great man’s writings as much as I have? I am privileged to introduce you to the world of Ralph Waldo Emerson. This is not his complete work, but rather life-changing gold nuggets that I excavated for myself in that dark and dusty university basement, and now share with you here – 70 pages of pure genius.
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