Jim Rohm was one of the first real leaders in the Personal development Movement. He mentored and inspired Tony Robbins, as well as a myriad of the great minds, to come down the pipe in personal growth.
For me, Jim was the first person to ask the question, “What is your philosophy on life?” For me, that is one of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself.
I just re-read or “listened” to one his earlier programs. It was so timely for me. Again, he asks the question, “what is your philosophy on life?”
This is why I feel it is so powerful: Most people have never really determined their philosophy and therefore probably not determined their future. Jim was one of the people that really helped me understand the creed for Rainmakers “Be More, Serve More.”
I think the most powerful thing I learned from Jim was that we need to work harder on ourselves than we do in our job. Americans are a nation of hard workers. But are we a nation of “hard thinkers?” I really don’t think we are. I think we don’t take the time to reflect, read, contemplate, test, fail, and try again in our heads. We want directions for everything, and we think the world owes us these directions.
I know “Be More, Serve More” is a tough act to hold ourselves to. The idea that constantly investing in yourself will give you the ability to serve that many more people. It is big! It’s bigger than us, bigger than 1,500 members, and bigger than business or general growth. I know I fail many times to live to this philosophy. I will use one of Jim’s lines for this:
“Listen to me intently but don’t watch me too close.”
Philosophies are those perfect ideas we use to measure ourselves against and strive to achieve but can never completely live up to, whether it is yours, a person you admire, founded in religion or whatever. They push us to strive to another level.
This weekend I went to see Kid Rock in Detroit. I knew Kid Rock when he was playing crap bars in Ferndale and East Lansing in Michigan to crowds of 30 instead of 30,000. He is far from perfect, but he does have a basic philosophy that good music is good music, from Run/DMC to Leonard Skynard.
And this good music should be appreciated because it is good, not because of the color or social background of the artist. In 2 1/2 hours he had black, white and yellow singing amen and shaking hands with their neighbors. He gave us a better experience of ourselves. I truly admired him for it.
He is true to his philosophy and because of that people are drawn to and love his music. They Your Philosophy and you will find your path! If a redneck, mullet wearing, skinny kid from Detroit can do it. So can you!
