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Other/Mixed Reach Out!

  • Thread starter Deleted member 5559
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Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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I have read, listened, etc. to many successful people talk about surrounding yourself with people more successful to improve and increase your capabilities...Well, I have to say that I disagree on the topic to my core. We should be surrounding ourselves with people we can help, not ones that can help us. Don't worry about getting yourself stronger, reach out to someone weaker and help them get stronger.
 
I absolutely understand what the intention of the original statement is. I also understand the intention of yours.

I'd say don't make it a dichotomous choice. Do both. I need people to help me. Not just in training, but in life. And I need to help others, as both a choice and a calling.

I would modify your statement: "Don't ONLY worry about getting yourself stronger; ALSO reach out to someone weaker to get them stronger."
 
@Bro Mo
Very well said...
I think that by reaching out to help someone else get stronger makes you 'stronger' by default

Additionally I've noticed that when I have done this I invariably learn something and I always end up enriched. I have had the opportunity to mentor many people new to rock climbing and in instructing them on form and technique I always see weakness and leaks in my own.

I have also been fortunate to be on the receiving end of many great people reaching out to me.
 
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@Bro Mo Even just bringing up this thought is great and I applaud your willingness to invest yourself in the service of others. Thank you.

Although in my mind, I believe this greatly depends on where you are right now. If someone is 25, just beginning their career and still single then their perspective on life will vary tremendously from someone who is 5o, been divorced, has 2 kids, in the middle of their career, etc....

In my experience, rubbing elbows with folks that have more "life experience" than me has helped my development as a man and coach. Dan John quoting Don Quixote - "It's the road, not the inn."

If I had not met these people, read their books, and learned from their mistakes then I would not know all the various ways there are to help others. Adding more tools into your toolbox is always a good thing, that way you have options.
 
Yes, I agree it is great to be the recipient of another's help. The genesis of this thread is from some people I know that ignore people they deem incapable of helping them and they do it because of all the self help books that tell them to surround themselves with people more "successful". I just want to make sure that idea is not perpetuated to a point that we forget to pick others up in search of self improvement.

From a training perspective, many have claimed they made huge improvements when they trained with stronger people. What I like about this community is all the members are seeking strength and make it a priority to help others more than themselves. Thank you all for being the example and using your strengths to help others and being motivated by the same.
 
Hello,

IMO collective work is efficient if everyone can progress at the same on the same things, and if everyone is a kind of "motivation" for everyone.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Foreword by Arnold Schwarzenegger for Tools of Titans from Tim Ferriss


Enter Arnold

I am not a self-made man.

Every time I give a speech at a business conference, or speak to college students, or do a Reddit AMA, someone says it.

“Governor/Governator/Arnold/Arnie/Schwarzie/Schnitzel (depending on where I am), as a self-made man, what’s your blueprint for success?”

They’re always shocked when I thank them for the compliment but say, “I am not a self-made man. I got a lot of help.”

It is true that I grew up in Austria without plumbing. It is true that I moved to America alone with just a gym bag. And it is true that I worked as a bricklayer and invested in real estate to become a millionaire before I ever swung the sword in Conan the Barbarian.

But it is not true that I am self-made. Like everyone, to get to where I am, I stood on the shoulders of giants. My life was built on a foundation of parents, coaches, and teachers; of kind souls who lent couches or gym back rooms where I could sleep; of mentors who shared wisdom and advice; of idols who motivated me from the pages of magazines (and, as my life grew, from personal interaction).

I had a big vision, and I had fire in my belly. But I would never have gotten anywhere without my mother helping me with my homework (and smacking me when I wasn’t ready to study), without my father telling me to “be useful,” without teachers who explained how to sell, or without coaches who taught me the fundamentals of weight lifting.

If I had never seen a magazine with Reg Park on the cover and read about his transition from Mr. Universe to playing Hercules on the big screen, I might still be yodeling in the Austrian Alps. I knew I wanted to leave Austria, and I knew that America was exactly where I belonged, but Reg put fuel on the fire and gave me my blueprint.

Joe Weider brought me to America and took me under his wing, promoting my bodybuilding career and teaching me about business. Lucille Ball took a huge chance and called me to guest star in a special that was my first big break in Hollywood. And in 2003, without the help of 4,206,284 Californians, I would never have been elected Governor of the great state of California.

So how can I ever claim to be self-made? To accept that mantle discounts every person and every piece of advice that got me here. And it gives the wrong impression — that you can do it alone.

I couldn’t. And odds are, you can’t either.

We all need fuel. Without the assistance, advice, and inspiration of others, the gears of our mind grind to a halt, and we’re stuck with nowhere to go. I have been blessed to find mentors and idols at every step of my life, and I’ve been lucky to meet many of them.

From Joe Weider to Nelson Mandela, from Mikhail Gorbachev to Muhammad Ali, from Andy Warhol to George H.W. Bush, I have never been shy about seeking wisdom from others to pour fuel on my fire.

You have probably listened to Tim’s podcasts. (I particularly recommend the one with the charming bodybuilder with the Austrian accent.) He has used his platform to bring you the wisdom of a diverse cast of characters in business, entertainment, and sports. I bet you’ve learned something from them — and oftentimes, I bet you picked up something you didn’t expect.

Whether it’s a morning routine, or a philosophy or training tip, or just motivation to get through your day, there isn’t a person on this planet who doesn’t benefit from a little outside help. I’ve always treated the world as my classroom, soaking up lessons and stories to fuel my path forward. I hope you do the same.

The worst thing you can ever do is think that you know enough.

Never stop learning. Ever.

That’s why you bought this book. You know that wherever you are in life, there will be moments when you need outside motivation and insight. There will be times when you don’t have the answer, or the drive, and you’re forced to look beyond yourself.

You can admit that you can’t do it alone. I certainly can’t. No one can.

Now, turn the page and learn something.

— Arnold Schwarzenegger
 
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