It is easy to dismiss all of the lessons learned from the associations who seemingly have made it. The fast-growing organizations, the strong associations, the famous associations, and the highly innovative associations, we may think are not like us. They are not like us because they have money, a larger staff and maybe they even have more time. Their lessons can’t be applied to use because they serve a different profession or a different industry. They are lucky. They have a different culture. They have something going for them that we do not have. “It is easy for them to say,” we think.
But those associations had the same exact problems starting out that we have now. Those associations which are now successful experienced the same problems in the beginning. They had the same worries. They feared the same possible outcomes. They had to overcome many of the same barriers. They were where we are now.
In fact, there’s a lot to be learned from those who are successful. Watch what they produce. Watch how they appear in the world. See how generous they are. See how gracious they are. Learn their processes. Or learn their mindset. Or learn how they think. These bright spots can teach us an awful lot, and save us some aggravation as we travel our own path.
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