Maybe the Lone Ranger Knew the Value of a Master Mind Group

Intentionally joining a small group of like-minded people creates tremendous power as it delivers watershed perspective.

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One of the toughest things to do in life is to feel like the Lone Ranger.

No, this time I’m not talking about the one on the horse that wears a mask.

I’m talking about deciding that no matter how tough things get, you decide to go it alone.

Sometimes it’s easy to convince ourselves that our problem or challenge is so unique that no one else could understand or offer any insight. But the truth is, there is tremendous power in intentionally being a part of a small group of like-minded people where our ideas can be heard, challenged and improved upon.

Napoleon Hill, in his classic book Think and Grow Rich, coined the term Master Mind Group, which he said is “The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.”

He said that, “No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind [the master mind].”

I like to think of it as a group of like-minded people bouncing ideas off of each other, learning from each other’s experiences and reveling in a sort-of group energy.

One of my very favorite things to do in the whole world is to be a member of a Master Mind Group. I like to think of it as a group of like-minded people bouncing ideas off of each other, learning from each other’s experiences and reveling in a sort-of group synergy.

The truth is, a lot of guys are already a part of a MMG, they just don’t call it that. Maybe you have a tight knit group of friends or colleagues that spend quality time together brainstorming ideas and solutions.

The name isn’t what’s important. It’s what’s accomplished.

The whole point is, you don’t have to feel like the Lone Ranger when you have a desperate situation or you are just in need of honest thinking partners to help move you further along in your thinking.

When you are in a group like this, it is such an amazing feeling to watch the light bulbs of people come on as they have critical breakthroughs right in front of your eyes.

I’ve had some of my greatest epiphanies from just sharing a struggle or a place in my business where I felt stuck.

I’ve had some of my greatest epiphanies from just sharing a struggle or a place in my business where I felt stuck. The most comforting thing about it all was I knew for sure that I wasn’t alone. Other people had experienced similar things and were there for me…ready with ideas and suggestions that I could trust.

Recently my MMG decided to study a particular book called Sometimes You Win Sometimes You Learn. It’s an amazing book about turning losses into wins.

The more I read and studied the truths contained in that book, the more I viewed it as a great treasure.

And here’s why…

Loss…it’s something every person that’s ever drawn a breath can relate to. Big losses, small losses, medium sized losses…it really doesn’t matter, we’ve all been there.

I discovered in my group that most of us really don’t “get” that we are not unique regarding experiencing loss. We think that somehow, we must be the only one experiencing it.

It was a great eye opener to those in this particular group to hear the stories of substantial loss that some in the group openly shared. It helped to put, and keep things in perspective.

It was a great eye opener to those in this particular group to hear the stories of substantial loss that some in the group openly shared. It helped put, and keep things in perspective. It’s pretty impactful when we think we have such huge mountains of despair and loss only to find out that the person that’s been sitting right there next to you for an hour each week has just lost a parent, a child or a spouse.

It kind of gives you that kick in the pants to have a more realistic picture of what is going on around you and it helps you to realize that, since we all do experience loss, we can focus on the “Learn” when it happens.

The point is, sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.

During our group, a person shared that she had lost her husband to cancer the previous year and that the time span between his initial diagnosis and his death was just a few weeks. She shared all of the amazing “learns” she’d had from that life changing experience and how grateful and thankful she was for understanding that she should focus not on the loss, but the learnings she’d had.

It was startling and somewhat of a jolt to the other people in the group, as well, who did not know her prior to this, to find out that she had experienced such a major loss and yet she still had a phenomenal positive attitude.

Then, such an amazing thing happened.

The entire group shifted in their thinking about their own losses and how their attitudes had been quite different toward much smaller losses.

It was definitely a turning point in the individual lives of the group members and made the words on the page of the book come alive in ways they probably could have never done, had they not been in a group like this.

So whether you call them thinking groups, accountability partnerships or any other name you choose to call them, there is tremendous benefit to hearing about the experience of others and learning from it.

…the power of being a part of a group that is focused on personal growth is absolutely incredible.

So here’s my point…the power of being a part of a group that is focused on personal growth is absolutely incredible. Sure, just reading a book or trying to problem solve on your own can have an impact on you and cause you to make changes in your thinking, attitudes and actions. But there’s just something about being in a group, bonding together around a common understanding and being transparent enough to share real life experiences and challenges.

These are the things that cement the truths into our lives, challenge us in ways we never thought possible and cause us to take giant leaps in our personal growth journey.