Albert Einstein was Heading for Obscurity

Last week I met up with Stuart Ross, the founder of High Growth, a company based in Nottingham, and we had a lovely lunch in Wagamama. He has had an amazing career and is now running a hugely successful company helping companies grow.
 
I have known Stuart for around 12 years, and he has mentored me through my transition from painter and decorator to International Speaker.
 
As we chatted and reminisced my thoughts went back to a day firmly etched in my memory. It was around 10 years ago, and we were walking through Nottingham town centre having met for lunch.
 
As we crossed the road, he said something to me which I have never forgotten. I can still remember looking down at the road as we crossed taking in the advice he gave me. Stuart told me that I would never become a successful speaker/trainer while I was still painting and decorating.
 
 
This was tough advice to take
 
This hit me quite hard because at that time the only way I was paying my bills was through the painting and decorating business I had set up. It was a scary thought that I would have to give up the very thing which was bringing the money in.
 
But I gave this much thought and not too long after this I gave up the decorating and put everything into my mental resilience business. It was tough and a close call but bit by bit I grew my business and managed to pay all the bills as I grew.
 
Now I’m in a place where I have some amazing clients I am working with, and I look back with great fondness on the times Stuart has met me to give me advice as a mentor.
 
 
What a gift
 
It is a wonderful thing that Stuart has done for me over the years. He has never charged me for these sessions because he believes in helping other people. As a mentor he has met me many times over the years and every single time we have met I have come away with some great advice to take me to the next level.
 
Over the past few years, I have become a mentor to a few people, and it gives me great pleasure to help them along their journey.
 
I have said in the past that the way to true happiness is helping others without receiving anything in return and mentoring people is one way to achieve this.
 
 
What is a mentor?
 
A mentor is an experienced and trusted adviser. It is someone who gives their time free of charge to help someone along their life journey. There is no monetary reward for this, but the reward is in seeing the mentee develop and grow. 
 
Some of the responsibilities of mentors are to provide guidance, advice, feedback, and support to the mentee. As well as serving as their role model, teacher, counsellor, advisor, sponsor, advocate, and ally. Mentors provide them with all their tools to be able to become a better version of themselves.
 
 
Thank you Stuart
 
Stuart, I want to take this opportunity to tell you how much I appreciate all the times we have met when you have advised me and encouraged me. You are one of the key reasons for my success.
 
 
Albert Einstein
 
I never knew the backstory of Albert Einstein and it made me think how mental resilience is evident throughout history where people face huge confidence challenges but don’t give up and eventually break through to their destiny.
 
Born in 1879, the man that we all know as one of the most brilliant minds to have ever lived, was once considered a major failure. In fact, Einstein didn’t speak until he was 4-years old. Yes, four-years old.
 
In 1895, at the age of 16, he failed to pass the examination for entrance into the Swiss Federal Polytechnic school located in Zurich.
 
And while he did graduate from university, he struggled and nearly dropped out, doing very poorly during the course of his studies there. In fact, he was in such dire straits that at the time of his father’s death, he considered his son to be a major failure, which left young Einstein completely heartbroken.
 
 
He was lost and heading for obscurity
 
After graduating, he wandered, unsure of what to do with his life. After some time, he ended up taking a job as an insurance salesman, going door to door in an attempt to sell insurance.
 
Eventually, 2 years later, he took a job at the Patent Office as an assistant examiner, evaluating patent applications for a variety of devices.
 
Of course, this is the same individual who brought us the theory of relativity, with ground-breaking work done in physics and mathematics, and helped us to reach deeper understandings about how the universe works.
 
He developed several fundamental core laws governing physics, won the Nobel Prize in 1921 and created the beginnings of quantum theory.
 
 
It just goes to show you that no one really knows just how much they are capable of until they push through the pain barrier and get to the other side.
 
 
Thoughts for the week
 
1.     Do you have a mentor?
2.     If you do great, keep meeting with them and thank them.
3.     If you don’t start looking for one.
4.     It may be someone you already know or someone you will meet.
5.     It is ok to contact someone you highly respect and ask them if they will mentor  
        you. They may say yes, and your life will be changed.
 
 
Well, that’s it for this week, have a wonderful weekend and keep believing.
 
Warm regards 

John 

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