Shoulders of Giants
Why I Believe in Giants
A wise man once said, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”. That man was Isaac Newton. The power of mentors to transform and enlighten your life will never be said enough. Without the advice and insight from those around him, Newton would not have accomplished the feats he did. I believe that if Alexander the Great had Aristotle as a mentor, Warren Buffett had Benjamin Graham, music industry legend Quincy Jones had Ray Charles, and many more amazing people such as Clint Eastwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Cal Ripken, Jr. all had mentors, then we need them as well.
Picasso once said “Good artists copy, great artists steal”. The question is simple, how do we emulate the success of others so we too can enjoy the benefits of fulfilling our dreams? Firstly, it begins by discovering who we should emulate. Perhaps Aristotle’s “eudaimonia”, meaning living and doing well, will shed some light - Love, happiness, wealth, and health are essential to living a satisfying life. Although the formula for achieving these goals is extremely disputed, the idea behind them remains solid. For example, if you want health why not go to an expert to ask for advice? Unless you truly believe you know more about health than the Giants, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger at his prime, then why not ask for help? The idea is simple - Plato talked about how a teacher is the physician of the soul, so be careful when choosing a teacher; your “soul” is on the line.
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s perspective was that everyone he met was his superior at something; in that he learned something different and unique from everyone. Each man and woman we meet, no matter where they are at in life, is valuable. Never look down upon any man or woman, for everyone has their day. Learn from everyone - but be careful who you base your life off of.
The power of mentors comes in their ability to inspire, to teach, and their offering of a helping hand in the search for answers. Quin and I are using this website as our solution to the mentor dilemma: Awesome advice from people who have made life decisions you want to emulate; for why copy someone you would not want to be like? We decided to ask people who in some fashion we want to emulate.
“It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it” - Oscar Wilde. There has been much research into the power of books, and I do not think I need to reason why they are important. This statement by Victor Hugo will suffice - “To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark”. We believe in the vision of the power of mentors, and the power of books.
Shoulders of Giants is a website and blog dedicated to anyone interested in pursuing a life full of growth and success. By recommending books that have inspired, motivated, or transformed their life, these mentors have given anyone intrigued the knowledge to propel their life to greatness. I firmly believe that these people will impact your life; simply take the time to listen to them.
