Worship the Guru? There are times when I just can't help from laughing out loud when I read the responses to my emails. "From the sublime to the ridiculous" doesn't even begin to describe some of the things I get. One of the most recurrent, amusing, themes, however is the "my guru is better than you" theme. Several times a week I'll get an email that says, "Guru X's stuff is better than yours, so I'm opting out." Or, "Guru Y is the man, and you suck so I'm not going to read what you have to say anymore." And of course, "I study the Zzyxz Method so I don't need you." All of this is highly amusing to me. Why? Is it because I'm better or smarter than the other "gurus?" No--in fact I pay attention to what all of them have to say, and truth to tell, it's all pretty good stuff. In fact, I occasionally offer their products to my list, which brings me to the reason I find all of this so amusing. The truly successful guy doesn't play the "my guru is better than yours" routine. In fact, the truly successful guy doesn't have a "guru"--he has multiple inputs from different sources, and uses what they ALL have to say in the context of his own ever changing experience. Truly successful people operate on the "principle of the slight edge"--they're just looking for one good idea to keep them ahead of the pack. To get that one good idea, they pay attention to what multiple people have to say, realizing that no one expert has all the answers, they all just offer different perspectives. Generally people who lock in on one "guru" are not particularly successful--they don't go to the guru to improve their results, they go to the guru to "belong." Poo-pooing others perspectives is a way to increase that sense of belonging--but it doesn't give you the "slight edge." The truth is this: if you want to be successful, study ALL the gurus, and take what they have to say in the context of your out personality, desired outcomes, and most importantly, experiences. This is what gives you the continual "slight edge" and allows you to be successful, instead of just belonging. That's the proper use of "the guru."