It took over 70 years to complete
Growing up, we had "homework hour." Homework hour usually took place while my Mom was cooking, and, you guessed it, it was an hour dedicated to homework.
As my siblings and I would read or write, we would often ask our Mom what certain words meant. Most of the time, her answer would be, "Go get the dictionary and look it up!"
It's impressive to me. We have a book filled with every word in the English language and its meanings.
In 1755, 'A Dictionary of the English Language' by Samuel Johnson was published and was the foremost English dictionary. In 1857, a group of English language enthusiasts felt the need for a more comprehensive English dictionary. They wanted to raise the bar and decided to create the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).
Their mission was to create a dictionary that would tell the history of each and every word in the language. They wanted to make the dictionary based on data showing how each word was actually used at different periods in history.
This was a huge mission. So big that the public was asked for help. Over the decades that followed, thousands volunteered from all over the English-speaking world.
Compiling the Oxford English Dictionary was a massive crowdsourced project that took more than 70 staff working for over 70 years to complete. The first edition comprised of 12 volumes, 414,825 words, and 1,827,306 illustrative quotes.
Wow. I wonder what doubts were present for these people? It took time, but they did what they set out to do.
Maybe you have a big, scary mission or goal and want help attacking it?
Maybe you want to make an impact now and generations from now?
Maybe you're tired of the status quo and are ready to make a change?
Maybe you want to be more of yourself because when you are yourself, great things happen?
Seeking help and support is not a weakness - it is a bold and courageous act.
Growing up, my Dad (Lee) struggled a lot as an entrepreneur. I rarely saw him asking for help from other people that could help him improve his businesses. He had a construction company titled L & L Construction, but I never met the other L. I never saw any mentors or coaches. I learned this "I can do it myself" behavior from him. I thought that asking for help meant that I was dumb, stupid, or less than. The truth is, asking for help opens the door for support, collaboration, learning, and acceleration of growth. It also lowers stress and increases peace.
Are the people in your corner encouraging, inspiring, and challenging you? If you don't have the right people, now is a great time to start making a change.
Here's a tool you can use to evaluate:
Get a sheet of paper or notes on your phone.
Think about the people in your life that inspire you and encourage you to do more, be better, and go further.
Write their name down and the number of times in the last 30 days that you've reached out to them for encouragement, support, or inspiration.
Are you happy with what you see?
Ask yourself, "What could I do in 90 days if I had more encouragement, support, and inspiration?"
Write down what you come up with.
Make the next 90 days the most powerful you've ever had. Go find the right people so that you can do more, be better, and go further.
Let me know if you'd like some support.
God bless you.
Shermain
Initial publish date: 12/28/2020
