In Eckhart Tolle’s book The Power of Now, he writes when a log that has only just started to burn his place next to one that is burning more fiercely and after awhile they separated again, the first log will be burning and a much greater intensity. After all, it’s the same fire. So to be such a fire is one of the functions of a spiritual teacher.
Now you’re like, what the heck does that have to do with anything? Look, if you’re interested in making yourself burn greater, whether it’s your knowledge, whether it’s your spirituality, whether it’s your job, whether it’s your relationships, whatever it might be in life, I’d have you seek out somebody who’s burning at a higher level, meaning a mentor, a coach, somebody who has maybe been there and done that. I do that a lot of times in my life in all different areas.
Look, at the end of the day, I like to be the dumbest guy in the room because it just pulls me up and helps me to excel. A lot of times, athletes are a great example of this. If you’re younger and you’re playing with older kids, you’re going to accelerate your game just by default by playing at a higher level because you’re forced to. So if you have an area in your life that you want to excel at and you want to get better at, find somebody else who’s burning at a higher level than you. I guarantee they will ignite your flame and send you off on your own at a much higher level than when you came into their presence.