As a libertarian, I respectfully make no bones about my belief that the highest value a country can embrace is the rights of the individual. With that, government’s major legitimate function is simply to protect those rights. This creates an environment where people can create value and trade freely with one another. (protected from force or fraud).

This results in a hugely prosperous society for all; one in which the poor are much better off and where charity abounds for those who truly cannot help themselves.

Very understandably then, I’m often asked if my belief in the rights of the individual conflicts with Law #3, The Law of Influence, from John David Mann‘s and my book, The Go-Giver:

“Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other peoples’ interests first.”

Before answering, let’s take the question even a step further: “wouldn’t this focus on the rights of the individual make being part of an athletic team, a business team, a charity or committee nearly impossible? I mean, if one (or, if everyone!) is putting their own individuality first, how can they put other peoples’ interests first; how can they be part of a cohesive, effective unit?

Here’s my response to both:

A rational individual understands that he or she benefits most from cooperation with others (i.e., an “other-focus” rather than a “self-focus”).

A very simple example is the person who sells a product or service. They complete the sale (accomplish their individual goal) only by providing value to the other person. To do this, they must focus, not on their own needs, but on the needs of that person. By the “nature of the thing” they must put the other person’s interests first.

Now, take that same principle in terms of any type of relationship, whether business, social, sports, or romantic. It plays out the same way every time.

Politically speaking, the question might be: “Well, if individuals are so much better served focusing on other peoples’ interests, why, Bob, do you take such issue  with big government and Socialism? After all, this is where the rights of the individual are totally subjugated and the interests of the whole are put first?

Aside from the fact that socialism hurts the masses (especially the poor and middle class) and freedom helps everyone, the reason is simple: One is based on choice and the other on force.

And, to me, that makes all the difference.

Your thoughts?

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This afternoon at 4:00 ET / 1:00 PT is our big teleseminar. I hope you can join us (will be recorded, as well, if you cannot attend live). I’ll share with you Benjamin Franklin’s famous system that helped make him immensely more effective both personally and professionally. You’ll learn the 13 traits Ben chose to improve upon, and exactly how he did it. When I discovered his system more than 10 years ago, I immediately began applying it in my own life and my change was dramatic. Let me help you do the same. For information and registration, visit www.MasterYourTraits.com.

There’s a saying which, for many years, has been one of my personal favorites:

“How you do anything is how you do everything.” 

This point is often hammered home by my friend, Achievement Authority Tom Terwilliger, as he did in this recent post.

It was a consistent theme throughout T. Harv Eker’s book, Secrets of The Millionaire Mind.

This is one of those concepts that — for some reason — despite a great example set by my Parents, I simply refused to pick up on when I was a kid. It was easy to tell when I was motivated because I went full-out, 100 percent with fire and determination.

But, it wasn’t good enough because I loafed my way through whatever I didn’t want to do, doing just enough to get by.

I’m not proud of it, and willingly (though, regrettably) admit that it set my “success clock” back a long way. Once I understood and embraced the concept as an adult, I then had to retrain myself. It wasn’t easy.

I don’t have children; thus, I’m not qualified to suggest what anyone should teach theirs. However, I firmly believe that — if I had children — this principle would be right at the top along with those other teachings that we all know are so important: not intentionally hurting others, not lying, cheating, stealing and being disrespectful…and, of course, donuts no more than once a week, etc.)

One of my greatest heroes and mentors*, Booker T. Washington, credits one of his first employers (and a true mentor), Mrs. Ruffner, with changing the course of his life by teaching him why — when he swept her floor clean — it needed to be done 100 percent, spotless with nothing missed. This turned him from a young up-n’-comer with great potential to a man who would accomplish more and do more to touch and change more lives than most people could ever even imagine.

In his famous Tuskegee lectures, he taught this valuable success principle to his students and protégés. Imagine if this “one thing” were taught everywhere.

How important do you think this principle is to one’s success?

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*Many of whom I consider to be great mentors of mine I never had the honor to personally meet. Such is the magnificence of books!

In a recent post it was suggested that before we could influence others regarding the value we provide them, we must first influence ourselves. In other words, we must understand (and really embrace) the great value we provide if we are going to be able to successfully communicate it to our prospective customers and clients.

In the comments section we received a ton of wisdom-filled responses.

One of them, by Fresno, California-based Networking Authority, Beth Bridges brought up a point I totally missed. She suggested that, basically, what is now natural for us is of much greater value to others than what we consciously realize. Actually, here are her exact words:

 “It took a lot of experience to learn and get good at what I do. Funny thing is that after a while, we forget how hard it was to get to that point. It seems ‘easy’ to us and looks easy to people who see us do it. But they still value the particular thing that we do — especially if it’s hard for them — while we might think of it the same way we do our other habits. Just something we ‘do.’

“For me, then, it becomes an issue of SEEING. I see things that other people do that is easy for *them* which I value greatly which they probably think is ‘no big deal.’  Then I switch roles and see what *I* do from their perspective.

“It helps me understand how I create great value by doing something that looks ‘easy’ and also makes it easier for other people to do.”

Thank you, Beth. Absolutely right. I can’t tell you how often I work with someone and point out the brilliance of something they have said or done. Typically their response is, “Oh, that’s nothing. Everyone knows/does that.”

Actually, no, they don’t. You know it and you do it because you have faithfully practiced your craft and honed it over many years. It’s of great value…it’s of enormous value to others. But, you must acknowledge that and realize it.

So, let’s all take Beth’s superb and wisdom-filled advice. As part of influencing ourselves on the exceptional value we have to offer others…let’s first make sure and “see” it.

Important question: With this in mind, what exceptional value do you bring to the table that you haven’t taken the time to really “see?”

Recently, a very hokey movie was on television and I got hooked on it, watching it all the way through. Not only was the storyline hokey, the acting was so bad…that I could tell it was bad. Usually, I cannot; this time I could.

However, there was one line that made it all worthwhile. The newly-deceased woman, having just spent a day of her afterlife back in an earth-like situation, was telling her mentor angel how surprised she was that, after living a life without ever thinking about being alive, suddenly, today she felt more alive than ever.

The angel asked her, “How often were you aware of being alive while you actually were?

This was a very powerful question! As he then noted, “You now have a different perspective.”

In a past article it was discussed that one way of developing gratitude for the simple things, such as our senses, is to imagine losing them all, then gaining them back one-by-one. As you can imagine, each would now take on a whole new meaning, being seen from an entirely new perspective.

Personally, I fall into this trap. I rarely think about being alive. Though, that one line brought it — and a huge sense of gratitude — back into focus, at least temporarily. The trick is to keep conscious of it on an ongoing basis, setting up reminders if necessary until it becomes habit.

The same with breathing. Aside from my friends into Meditation (sorry, Linda Ryan, I still don’t do it) and other arts where breathing is part of the ritual, too many of us forget about breathing, and even that we are breathing. Imagine how much more we’d appreciate it if we, for some reason, lost that ability. Somewhat frightening to even think about. The trick is to stay conscious that we are breathing.

This would certainly help us in the gratitude department. And gratitude might be the root source of everything good that we experience.

I continue to work on these things. How about you? And, how can we do even “more better-er” in this regard?

Have you ever heard someone tell you that your product (or service, opportunity, idea, etc) “won’t work here” (or, in this business, this company, this region of the country, etc.)?

After all, “it’s different here”…isn’t it?

Actually, not so much. I mean, don’t get me wrong; we are all individuals; each with our own needs, wants, desires, fears, etc.

Still, as human beings, in total, we are all so much more alike than we are different.

You might recall that last summer I spoke in China for a major Direct Sales company. In the audience were people from 12 different countries. Perhaps the most interesting thing to me was something that — while expected — was still both enlightening and delightful to experience.

During the question and answer period there was something very familiar about the questions. And, that is, they were the exact same questions I am asked here in the U.S. and other western countries.

I don’t mean they were close to the same questions. I mean, the same questions. People had the same concerns, fears, needs, wants, desires. Oh, and they heard the same objections from their prospects.

All in all, we can pretty much know that, as different as people are, we are all basically the same. And that is one of those really cool things.

Do you find that to be true? Or, is it…different where you are?