A Lesson from Ug the Hunter – Success Leaves Clues
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Lost in the mists of time before civilization existed, even before Zig Ziglar, there was a man named Ug. Ug was a mighty hunter and leader of his tribe. Ug was also one of the first great inventors.
Ug developed the first stone knife to make killing and preparing the meat easier. He invented the bow to fire a small spear from a great distance, making it easier to hunt many fast, hard-to catch animals. Ug became known as the greatest hunter of his tribe, and he shared his secrets with other hunters in his tribe and because of this Ug’s tribe grew large and strong.
Now, other hunters from other tribes soon noticed that the people of Ug’s tribe were better fed, stronger, happier. They soon found out about Ug’s skills, and they admired his hunting prowess, and they wanted the security that it brought for themselves. So, they went to Ug and offered to trade many skins of animals if he would teach them how to hunt more effectively.
Ug could see how sharing his knowledge could help his tribe and help other tribes, as well, so he planned a great gathering where, for a price, other hunters could come and learn how to bring more meat to their people. But, to be allowed to attend this meeting, a hunter would have to bring 30 skins, the number that a hardworking hunter might gather between moons. Many hunters decided that this was just too much to ask and decided not to attend the gathering, but a few hunters set out gathering the skins they needed.
When the time came for Ug’s get-together, he had a few hardy souls who came together around the fire to learn Ug’s secrets for successful hunting. In the years to come, the tribes whose hunters used Ug’s methods and tools became as great and strong as Ug’s tribe and became valuable allies. They quickly overtook the smaller, slower, weaker tribes and pushed them out of their land. In years to come, when they were old men sitting around the campfire, they would look back on Ug’s gathering with fondness for it changed lives forever.
That was the first seminar, and Ug is the father of the self-improvement business. Okay, that’s a fascinating piece of history, but what’s the point? Consider this.
Ug knew something about hunting, he had proven his success and he was willing to share it with others. By sharing it, he was able to amass great wealth for his tribe, and, in so doing, he also created great wealth in many other tribes. The smart hunters understood that they could continue doing things the old way, which, by the way, was working okay, or they could take advantage of the knowledge that Ug had about doing things a much better way. They figured that his success could be duplicated if they just followed his teaching, and they were right.
Untold centuries later, nothing has really changed. The old saying is success leaves clues, and that simply means that smart hunters or smart businesspeople learn from the success of others even more than they learn from their own mistakes. It’s just an easier, better way of doing business.
So, think about this, and think about what areas in your business and your life could benefit from the success of others, and then I challenge you to gather your skins and go follow the clues that lead to greater success. Invest in books and audio programs and workshops and seminars where you can learn the methods and tools that will bring you greater achievement in your business and in your life.
Be Free!
This article was written by David Denis owner of http://www.rocksolidwriting.com
David is a freelance writer for hire offering article writing, sales letters, training manuals, speech writing, seo content, sales writing, blog articles, copy-writing service, sales scripts and business name ideas.
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Interesting point embedded in this story. Hadn’t the hunters who brought 30 skins already recognized and begun the self-improvement process, upping their own level of performance to prove themselves worthy of attending Ug’s training? This mental attitude, along with increased action indicated they were ready to be taught more. In order to cover the cost of the seminar, I also imagine a bunch of adequate hunters just bought and traded for skins from hunters who had not planned to attend. Either way, they started within themselves. They did what it took to begin the path to success. Great lesson for all of us.
Comment by Joshua Harris III — May 12, 2009 @ 9:45 am
Joshua – yes. Exactly. In our business be believe strongly that that merely *taking action* to improve yourself carries benefits. It’s a corollary to the words of Jim Rohn when he suggested that we set goals for what they will make of you. Thanks for the comment.
Comment by Dave Denis — May 12, 2009 @ 9:56 am
Specialized training seminars improves individual technique on the sought-after skill but true learning is inpired by competing against the skills/weaknesses of the other attendees. The peer pressure that exists during group training exponentially catapults individual learning.
The tribes who did not participate in Ug’s training exercise were not wrong and doomed to forever remain the weaker link. They merely chose a different route of enlightenment. Some journeys to success are fast, some are slower, and some never get there. But is getting there really what we want?
There are similarities between Ug and his neighbors that exist in today’s world. Take martial arts training where one chooses a blade style over boxing, or over grappling, etc. Some choose fighting styles based on physical ability, others choose them for the spiritual growth, but the ultimate goal is still to incapacitate an opponent.
Also, the other tribes might have been turned off by some of Ug’s qualities and quirks. This is true when people select religions. The ultimate personal goal is still self-improvement but through different mediums that suit pesonality and learning styles.
I wholeheartedly agree we must ask for assistance from experts. However, enlightenment comes not only from the well-renowed teachers but also from the not-so-great and more importantly, from the ones who know nothing.
Comment by Leonard Casiple — May 13, 2009 @ 9:32 pm