I recently came across a great quote from the American war general George S. Patton.
I didn’t know much about this guy because when it comes to war history, I couldn’t be less ill-informed if my head was in a jar.
Well anyways, I did a little research on this guy, and by golly, I feel like I struck gold. I could write about this guy for days on end. From his love of carrying ivory-handled guns to his vulgarity-ridden speeches, there was nothing bland about this crazy summuvabitch. This guy was a walking soundbite. I particularly like what he said about the object of war: “The object of war is not to die for your country, but to make the other bastard die for his!”
Good logic there.
But the quote I found first that grabbed my attention was this:
“A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood.”
Apparently, this is what Patton would bark at his troops to motivate them when training.
Basically, he’s saying that tough training will save soldiers’ lives on the battlefield. I’m sure it’s very true.
But then, dear subscriber, in my research, I come across an even better quote from another war general. Check it out:
“Sweat saves blood, blood saves lives, but brains save both!”
That quote was from German war general Erwin Rommel. Now, turns out this guy is was a very complicated character. Some people see him as a villain because he was a high-ranking officer in the Nazi army, while others say he was a good man for not condoning Hitler’s action, and because he plotted to kill Hitler. In any case, the man’s credited for the above quote, and I believe it’s a better quote than Patton’s.
Simply because it’s more complete.
You see, working hard and training is all well and good, but it’s the brains behind the training and hard work that truly dictates the success of any endeavor. Look at two of the greatest war generals of all time, namely, Napoleon and Alexander the Great. Sure, these guys believed in training like a mofo, but what made these guys the greatest was not their attitude towards training but rather it was…
… The Knowledge They Had
Between Their Ears!
That’s what separates the great from the good.
People who are good at what they do work hard, train hard, but that’s when they call it a day. Not so with the greats of the world. No. The greats of the world consider that half a day’s work. The greats (titans) then proceed to work on increasing their knowledge. That’s right. The greats are continually seeking out knowledge. They know their actions are only as good as the knowledge and insight behind them. (You should probably reread that last sentence.)
I don’t care what industry you pick, the very best in the business have the deepest knowledge base. They simply know more about their craft than their competitors.
Take Mike Tyson for example.
Now, you think he got to the very top of the boxing world by brute strength and hard training alone? Not tho. Not many people know this, but Mike Tyson’s knowledge of boxing is almost unrivaled. Since the age of 12, he has been a dedicated student of boxing. As a 12-year-old he would watch hour and hours of old boxing fights on film. He simply knew more about boxing than his competitors. Mix that knowledge with his work ethic and his natural gifts, and you get, well… you get Mike Tyson!
If you want to be good, keep working hard, and keep training hard.
If you want to be great, keep working hard, keep training hard, and…
…Keep Learning!
And, if you’re a business person wanting to gain a real advantage in business, a real advantage that translates into cold, hard cash, what should you be learning?
Well…
Do you think you’d be better in business if you gained a deep knowledge of persuasion, sales, copywriting, marketing, and communication?
Look, I realize I’m probably talking to Noah about the flood, here, but I have one last thing to say:
Most business owners are busier than a one-armed Uber driver with a bad case of jock itch, thus they never take the time to pick up a book and read.
Kelvin, why do you think they’re so overwhelmed and busy?
I’m glad you asked.
But I’m not gonna tell ya what I “think…I’m gonna tell ya what I “know”. And that’s this:
People are far too busy and feel overwhelmed because…
… They Never Stop to Pick Up a
Book And Read!
Aw, man, you’re not getting it!
I almost heard that last statement bounce off your chrome dome. (You know what’s funny? Someone’s gonna read that and think, “How does he know I’m bald?”)
Sorry.
Look, let me try and make this caveman simple:
Think of it this way: our mind is like an axe.
We need to keep it sharp. And every time you sit down and read, you are sharpening your mind. And when you have a sharp mind, you can cut through mental problems with ease instead of mentally whacking away at a problem to no avail.
The Good Book backs me up on this:
“If the axe is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.” ~ King Solomon (Eclessiatics 10:10)
Bottom line:
A blunt body is forgivable, but a blunt mind is not!
Bottom bottom line:
If you want more success, skill up!
This can help: The Maverick’s Inner Circle
Your friend,
Kelvin
Email Marketing Maverick