Every normally minded person desires to be successful. I suppose every individual has his own concept of what success means to him. However, my conception of success is to enjoy a large measure of happiness and a large measure of health and prosperity. To have a balance in livingness. To have, not just a lot of money, but good health and an understanding of the laws of life so one can live harmoniously with himself, with his fellowmen, and with his Creator. There are many people who seem to have all of the necessary elements which would make it possible for them to be successful. They have the know-how, they have the energy, they have the prestige, they have the capital, they had the ideas, the enthusiasm, the courage, the faith and the stick-to-it-iveness. And they are successful. However, there are millions of people in the world today who secretly entertain the idea of doing great things, but they excuse their lack of attempt to do great things or failure to reach that great objective, which is buried deep within their inner mind, on the fact that they do not have the capital, they do not have sufficient education, they are unable to obtain the necessary skilled labor or they are missing the necessary elements of enthusiasm, faith or courage. Hence, they justify never attempting to start out toward their objectives. I have good news for all of these wonderful people who deserve to be successful, yet feel that there are ingredients missing from the picture which cause them to fail to reach their objectives. There is a principle which makes it possible for them to obtain all of the missing ingredients, regardless of what they may be. I call this principle "The Mastermind Principle." The mastermind principle is a friendly alliance of two or more people working together toward a common objective.
Employment of this principle makes it possible for a person to enjoy the benefits of the background, the education, the energy and the influence of other people as though all of these qualities were his very own. For example, the great steel king, Andrew Carnegie, confessed that he knew very little about the processing of steel in the marketing of steel. However, he was very familiar with this mastermind principle, and he was able to attract men who were experts in every field. Through the use of this mastermind principle, he was able to become one the world's leading industrialists because he was able to manufacture less expensive and better steel than anyone else in the industry. Henry Ford used to this great principle in building the vast Ford Motor Company and all of its subsidiaries. Henry Ford, on one occasion in particular, bought a coal mine and paid several million dollars for even it even though he had never personally seen the coal mine. Someone asked him why he would invest several million dollars in a coal mine, which he had never seen. He replied that he didn't know very much about coal mines, but, he had a man on his staff, who was an expert in that field, and had sent that man to inspect the property. When that man recommended as a good investment, Henry Ford invested in the coal mine, sight unseen because of his trust in this member of his mastermind alliance. In other words, it was possible for Mr. Ford to have the benefit of this man's skill and special training and energy and judgment without having to possess those qualities himself. It was not necessary for Mr. Ford to know all of the technicalities of coal and all the factors involved in using good judgment in buying a coal mine. Yes, I know someone is going to say, "Sure, Mr. Ford could use this principle and Mr. Carnegie could use this principle, but how about the average man and woman? How can they use the mastermind principle?" Let me say that this principle is impersonal and anybody can use it who understands it. It is very simple. All any person has to do is to have an intelligent objective. Know what you want, then add up all of the qualities and assets you have which are needed in attaining your objective. Then make a list of all of the qualities and assets needed which you do not possess. It may be capital, it may be skilled labor, it may be influence and prestige, or the knowledge and energy of men and women of certain capacities. It may be a group of people who will help you to believe strongly in
your objective so you can feel enthusiastic and courageous about it at all times. All you have to do is to surround yourself with men and women who possess the right characteristics and who can make the contributions you need to reach your objective. There are ways of compensating all the members of the alliance which will cause them to be motivated to want to work on your team to help you reach your great objective. Being aware of the fact that there is a law of motion is very important. You cannot ask someone to serve on your mastermind alliance unless you realize that he must be compensated in some fashion. It isn't always necessary to compensate people with money. Quite often your associates would consider it an honor to serve as a member of your mastermind alliance. People are just glad to help you. For example, if you are in the direct selling field, and you feel you are a little weak on approaches, form a mastermind alliance with someone who is an expert on this matter of approaches. Then counsel with them frequently, get together with him and talk it over so you can observe how he makes his approach. Have frequent get-togethers with this person who is an expert on approaches so you can build your awareness and learn from him. In other words, make your weakest point your strongest point through a mastermind alliance with someone. As I said before, there are many millions of people who are not working toward their objectives because they do not understand how to supply the missing ingredients which are so necessary for their success. There are millions of people who seem to have everything necessary to reach their objective except the necessary capital to get the idea started. This mastermind principle can help any person who needs capital, as well as any other help. If you have an idea in which you believe very strongly, you will be able to convince someone who has the money you need to serve on your mastermind alliance. If you believe in it strongly, you can get him to believe in it strongly too, to the point where he will either furnish the money or he will help you to raise the money through some legitimate channel. Many people fail to realize that capital is easily raised, if you have a basically good idea which will render a quality and quantity of service to humanity based upon integrity and know-how. I know of many cases and I'm sure there have
been many other cases in history were capital has been raised and objectives have been realized through the establishment of an alliance. It has been my privilege to use this principle a great deal, in the last 10 years. I think one of the greatest examples, in my own experience of using this principle, was the conception, the design and the development of a corporation which I had the privilege of founding. It is the result of utilizing the great principle that anyone can be successful if they will find a great human need, find the answer to that need, and take the answer to that need, in quality and quantity, to the greatest number of people. I sought a great need. To find the answer to this need, I had to first consider the development of the best formula for the product. I was confronted with many problems. I was not an expert. I had very little capital. All I had was the idea and the awareness of the inner workings of this great mastermind principle. Through the use of this mastermind principle, it was possible to obtain the services of a leading specialist in America. It was also possible to attract leading people in every phase, which was necessary to complete the picture so this wonderful company could be formed and operated on the high principle upon which it was founded. If it had not been for the inner understanding of this great mastermind principle, the product would never have been placed before the American people. This principle applies not only in helping us reach our objectives in the business world, but also in many other phases of our livingness. I think one of the greatest examples of this principle is the husband- and-wife who have a very noble objective of living a happy life together and raising their family. They can work out their many, many objectives as a family by constantly working together upon this principle. Through this friendly alliance, they can talk things over, they can stimulate courage and faith and enthusiasm, at all times, and keep their family life on an even keel in a very harmonious, happy and abundant expression. It is a great challenge for every husband and wife to become intimately acquainted with this mastermind principle so they can talk to each other frequently about their common objectives and clarify their ideas to generate a high degree of faith and courage and enthusiasm at all times.
Another great example of this principle is the board of directors set up in the various religious institutions. They may be called the board of elders and deacons in some churches. It doesn't matter a great deal, what the respective titles are as long as there are two or more individuals working harmoniously together in a friendly alliance toward a common objective. The frequent meeting of a mastermind group generates a power which no one individual could ever generate alone. This mastermind principle makes it possible for ideas to come into our being, that would never be realized except through this principle, because two or more minds working together could be compared to putting two or more storage batteries together. They had a proportionately increased total amount of power, according to how many are attached together as compared to just one battery. So, this mastermind principle helps us to have more power and a higher degree of intelligence. A greater degree of wisdom is exercised through a mastermind alliance. The great challenge in considering this great principle is for us to definitize all of our objectives in life and to realize that regardless of how great or how large a scope our objectives may be, through the proper use of this principle, we can supply all of the necessary ingredients to reach every objective. We need never be discouraged and say we cannot reach an objective because we do not have the capital or the know-how or the influence or the energy to do it, because through this principle we can obtain the capital, the services, the influence, the know-how and every other missing ingredient. It is difficult to emphasize this principle sufficiently that I know that millions of people today are not even attempting to reach their objectives because they feel it is hopeless. Let me assure you that regardless of what the obstacle might be or what the missing ingredient might be, everything you need can be supplied to the mastermind principle. Now that we have a clear concept of what this mastermind principle is and what it does, let us identify our objectives and learn to go through the rather simple process of using this principle. Let us write down on one side of a sheet of paper all of the assets and abilities we do not have, which we need to reach our objective. Then, let us begin to form a mastermind alliance with people who are able to work with us and to help us
supply the missing elements. This not only applies to large objectives, but it applies to what might seem to be the smaller things we desire from day-to-day. It may be that we would like to become more poised than we are. Do you know someone who has the poise you would like to have? Then get acquainted with that individual and ask him to help you gain the poise you desire. As you visit with this person, you will begin to learn all of the ingredients which go to make up a poised person. If you are in the selling field and there is some phase of your activities that is not as effective as you would desire, get acquainted with people who seem to be experts in that particular phase and asked them to help you by serving on your mastermind committee. Through this principle, you will be able to learn from them how you can be more effective. I am thinking of one part of the selling field in particular. Many people in the selling field have a false concept of values. In as much as many of them do not have a great deal of money themselves, they have the idea that everyone on whom they call does not have any money either. In other words, they judge their prospects by themselves. It was my privilege to mastermind with a gentleman a number of years ago who changed my mind on this particular matter and it has helped me a great deal. Instead of assuming that my prospects did not have any money, I assumed that every one of my prospects had a great deal of money. I presented my proposition on that assumption, and I was surprised and amazed at how many of the prospects did have the money. I found, because of my thinking along these lines, I was thrown in touch with a higher level of prospects continually. I urge you to assume that every party upon whom you call has plenty of money. You will be surprised to find that this is the case. When you assume that everybody has the money to buy the things you sell, your problem as a salesperson is to know the merits of your product so well and to be able to describe them so effectively that you will make it irresistible to your prospect. If you do a good job, they will want it with a burning desire. Hence, they will buy it because they cannot resist it. If they don't have the money at the moment, they will find some way to obtain it. Your concern is not whether they have the money, but, whether you are able to convey your message so effectively that you can make it irresistible to them. Now, all of this involves proper use of this great mastermind
principle, which is an impersonal principle, and which will make it possible for you to obtain your objectives. In this case, your objective would be to render a quality and a quantity of service to your prospect by making him want your product or service so badly that he will part with his money gladly, knowing he will receive value much higher than the value of the money which he paid you for your service. If should be a husband or wife, and you are having difficulty in your family relations, might I suggest that you use this principle and form a friendly alliance with someone who can give you some expert counsel, relative to your problem. This mastermind principle can be appropriated to help you solve any of your personal problems regardless of their nature. So, realize that there are experts in every field who will be happy to help you, provided you will ask them and then compensate them. You can compensate them either from the standpoint of your appreciation or from a standpoint of remuneration or something else that would be satisfactory and motivating to them. So, we can be anything want to be and we can have anything we want to have through the use of this great principle. We can supply all of the missing ingredients which will make it possible for us to be very happy, very healthy and very prosperous. By using this great principle we can obtain the skill, the influence, the background, the knowhow, the energy of other people, as though they were our very own, and reach our most cherished objectives. So, make large plans because they have magic to stir men's blood. Let us think largely, let us dream largely and let us appropriate this great principle, which is available to every individual, and let us be aware of the fact that through this great principle, we can be anything we want to be and we can have anything we want to have.
