(Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes)

In MasterMind Power I: How 5 Boys Achieved Unparalled Success, we’re treated to a story of 5 boys who achieved success by creating a lifelong mastermind, setting the stage for understanding how we can achieve similar success.

Now Valentina introduces us to Napoleon Hill, who spent a lifetime studying mastermind groups, and found seven principles in common with all. Enjoy this second installment of Valentina Bellicova’s four part series on Mastermind groups.

Napoleon Hill – Father of the MasterMind

-by Valentina Bellicova

In his book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill outlines 13 principles that his 29 years of research defined as common to every successful person. One of those principles was the Power of the Master Mind which he defined as:

“Coordination of knowledge and effort in a spirit of harmony between two or more people for the attainment of a definite purpose.”

In his book Hill demonstrates that no successful person achieves great things alone. Every achiever is surrounded by people who help them, advise them, criticize them, encourage them, motivate them, inspire them and push them to be better than they could ever be on their own.

In the previous post, An Old Story, five young boys did just that, not only as youngsters but well into adulthood and throughout their lives. As they shared each others thoughts, aspirations, challenges, desires, hopes and visions an unseen energy formed. That is what they referred to as “an unseen power and a synergy that helped guide them.”

The benefits of a master mind are:

1. Intelligence. Each member of a master mind group contributes his or her intelligence that is separate and different from the others. The collective power of such intelligence is indeed greater than the sum of the minds. This can be in the guise of a spiritual force or guide. Great things happen when minds bent on a common goal focus their intelligence on the manifestation of that goal.
2. Experience. As with intelligence the collective power of experience is not only supportive but borne of wisdom. It is easier to make better decisions when the experience supporting the decision is broader than one.
3. Knowledge. While intelligence is the capacity to think and understand, knowledge is the accumulation of thought and understanding. It is gained through experience be it learned or lived.
4. Speed. When more than one mind is concentrated on the outcome of a common goal, it is like harnessing the power of several horses over one for superiority in thrust, speed and power. Goals can be achieved in shorter periods of time.
5. Safe environment. Although not explicit in “ An Old Story”, confidentiality is of utmost importance. Confidence of secrecy or nondisclosure, allows each member of a master mind to be honest and truthful. It is the old axiom to the current “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”.
6. Economic. Economic advantages may be created by any person who surrounds himself with the advice, counsel and personal cooperation of a group that is willing to lend him wholehearted aid in a spirit of harmony.
7. Third mind. No two minds ever come together without, thereby, creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third mind. Again this is the unseen power referred to by the group of five.

The group of five boys was a natural master mind, one that came about through shared and common happenstance and the commitment to support each other no matter what. It is the rarest of masterminds. More common are masterminds that are put together with a specific outcome in mind. As with people, some are formed for a reason, some for a season and a very few for a lifetime.

Next, in MasterMind Power III: The Who, What, Where, When and Why of a Successful Mastermind Groups, we will discuss how to find or form a master mind of your own.

Valentina Bellicova builds on her years of experience in Corporate America to succeed as a professional speaker, author and internet marketer. At age 15, she pitched her first article, obtaining a weekly column for the Daily Mainichi Newspaper in Tokyo. Visit Valentina: Blog Income Life.

Coming January 25, 2010: Don’t miss Part III of this four part series of articles on MasterMind groups, where Valentina digs into the nitty-gritty, examining the “Five Ws”: Who, What, Where, When and Why of creating and participating in a MasterMind group.

(Reading time: 4 – 7 minutes)

Valentina Bellicova is a professional speaker, an author and an internet marketer mining years of experience as an executive in Corporate America. Years and years ago she walked into an editor’s office, a published article firmly tucked under arm, and parlayed her first job: editor of her very own weekly column for the Daily Mainichi Newspaper in Tokyo. She was 15. Today, Valentina has turned her penchant for writing into earning income from blogging. Valentina takes this stuff seriously, see -and learn – for yourself at Blog Income Life.

Over the next two weeks (January 18, 20, 25 and 27), Valentina is treating us to a four part series on MasterMind groups. She has extensive experience, as you will be able to see. Our series kicks off with a motivational story. Next (January 20, 2010) Valentina introduces us to the Father of the MasterMind Napolean Hill, and list many of the benefits you enjoy as part of a MasterMind group. In Part III (January 25,2010), we dig into the nitty-gritty, examining the “Five Ws”: Who, What, Where, When and Why. Valentina concludes with examples drawn from her own experience in Part IV (January 27, 2010).

☞ Folks, if you haven’t subscribed to Website In A Weekend, don’t wait, do it now. You don’t want to miss these articles!

I hope you enjoyed the MasterMind Power series from Valentina Bellicova. Let’s do a quick recap:

1. Valentina’s series starts with a story of how five boys grow into success by creating their own “mastermind group.”
2. The series continues with Napolean Hill, and the seven characteristics of mastermind groups.
3. Creating a mastermind group requires understanding the Who, What, Why, Where and When for the group.
4. And in Part IV, Valentina concludes with five examples of mastermind groups drawn from her own experience.

Here’s the start of Valentina’s four part article on MasterMind groups, where we’re treated an inspirational story demonstrating why you need to tap into MasterMind Power.

The Power of the MasterMind – Part I

-by Valentina Bellicova

A story is told of a handful of pals who achieved extraordinary success in their lives. With the telling and retelling, the origin is somewhat hazy, but it is supposedly based on true life and while the details may be a bit scant, the concept is powerful. Perhaps you have already read of it.

It begins in a small town on a square block. Five boys, already friends, enter kindergarten together. Whether by default or design, they stand by each other and help ward off attacks by other children – nothing terrible, just the typical cruelties that children can inflict on one another. Throughout grade school and then high school, their friendships grow. Boy Scouts, summer camps, first love, disappointment, failure, success, tears of sorrow and of joy. These moments they share with each other. They become a tight knit group and heaven help the soul that dared slight anyone of them.

College took them in different directions. Yet every summer that brought them home, they were sure to get together for good old times’ sake. On graduating they made a pact – no matter what, their lines of communication would always stay open to each other and at least once a year they would get together just for a beer or two, some good laughs and precious life catch up.

Each entered a profession of his choosing. Each was supported by the other four. First there were weddings, then christenings, then a second round of weddings and christenings as their own children started families of their own. Throughout life they supported each other’s calling, giving introductions to valuable contacts, using each other as a sounding board for their goals and business directives – they also bought goods and services from each other and were not above giving a scold or two if a member appeared to be stepping out of line and that went double for their personal lives. In short came to know each other better than their parents, children, or spouses.

No matter what life hit them with in one thing they never wavered or faltered – they kept their lines of communication open and at least once a year came together. More importantly they were there for each other when things were rough, when a kick up the butt was needed, when tragedy and sorrow struck, when celebrations were in order and of those there were many as each rose to a status of wealth and power.

Many years later their hometown newspaper ran a story on them. Their unparalleled success had not gone unnoticed. When asked if there was any one thing that they could ascribe their success to, they had an answer. It seems that of late they had asked that very same question of themselves. What are the odds of a small town growing five simultaneous success stories. They came to the conclusion that it was more than happenstance or their friendship. It felt as if, they said, there was an unseen power and a synergy that helped guide them.

Without knowing it, they had created a mastermind.

Stay tuned for MasterMind Power Part II: Napoleon Hill – Father of the MasterMind and learn seven principles common to all mastermind groups.

Valentina Bellicova builds on her years of experience in Corporate America to succeed as a professional speaker, author and internet marketer. At age 15, she pitched her first article, obtaining a weekly column for the Daily Mainichi Newspaper in Tokyo. Visit Valentina: Blog Income Life.