The latest motivational book I’ve been reading is called “The Gold Mine Effect: Crack The Secrets Of High Performance” by Rasmus Andersen.
I have always been intrigued by people who see what others don’t. The people who are able to see patterns where everyone else misses. Rasmus Andersen is one of these people who went on a search around the world to find “hot beds of talent” or as he refers to “Gold Mines” where there has been a culture created to produce people to be the best in the world at a given talent or skill.
Other books that I’ve had similar experiences with have been “The Little Book of Talent” by Daniel Coyle and “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell
Before going into each gold mine of talent he starts out by introducing the beliefs that people/society/media share about why each of these places on earth are why the way they are.
These gold mines are not special for the reasons originally thought that they are special. It goes much deeper than that.
For instance there’s the belief that Kenyan’s possess a “running gene” or other reasons are they have better coaching. The actual reasons discovered in the book go much deeper than that.
Reasons that involve social pressure, economic conditions, the “me too” syndrome, mindset, and the paradox of choice. Each of these factors play a crucial role to move someone to be the best in the world.
Some of these gold mines around the world are:
- Iten, a village in Kenya which consistently produces the world’s best long distance runners
- Brazil – producing a disproportionate number of the world’s top footballers (soccer players)
- South Korea – producing 35% of the world’s best female golfers
- Kingston, Jamaica – where a single athletics club has succeeded in producing most of the world’s best sprinters
I find the information in this book in general intriguing, fascinating and inspiring. Here’s the piece of the book that had the most impact for me…
The title of the chapter was “A world without limits” on page 143.
“…All these explanations serve no purpose other than to excuse people for not trying, or rather not committing themselves completely. Explanations like these make us quitters!
In reality, this starts early on. From the day we are born we pick up ideas, attitudes and convictions from the world around us. Our parents, friends, teachers, the media and many other sources all try to sell us their version of the truth. The truth we consciously or unconsciously choose to accept forms our convictions as to what is possible and what is not. The problem is that many people end up accepting a ‘truth’ that limits them rather than opening up possibilities for them.”
Whoa!
I began looking at all the ways in my life this could possibly be true. I believe this is the part where “truth hurts” where I see I bought into the story someone else told me.
Like the wrestling coach in high school that told me I was “too old” to be any good at wrestling at the age of 16
Like Dr. Ellis, told me that my knee would “never be the same after my knee surgery.”
Like those that have laughed at me when I said, “I’m the best in the world at eliminating knee pain.”
Who are they to say I can’t do anything I want and even more than that who are they to tell you, you can’t do or be anything you want!
Now it’s your turn…
Share an idea, attitude or conviction that you got from a parent, teacher or the media that NOW is no longer true for you!
