Many years ago I attended a motivational seminar (one of many!) where the speaker made quite a startling comment. He was talking about the power of co-operation and how it was so much easier to achieve a goal when everybody was pulling together. He gave an example. He started off by making a statement:

"A draft horse can pull between 1 to 3 tons..."

Well, I didn't know that. I still don't know for sure. I just took his word for it because it sounded reasonable. Then he posed a question. He asked:

"What would you expect TWO draft horses to be able to pull?"

Obviously, by simple deduction and mathematics, the answer that most of us came up with was 2 to 6 tons. Double the horses, double the capacity. Simple!

But he went on. He had probably asked many audiences the same question and knew that we would all be deducing, in whispering terms, "2 to 6 tons." Then he said:

"A single draft horse can pull between 1 to 3 tons but TWO draft horses, in tandem, can pull somewhere in the vicinity of 12 to 14 tons."

Now, I still don't know whether this is true or not. But for the point of his story it was irrelevant anyway. The point that he was making was this - through co-operation and like-mindedness you will always be able to achieve more and achieve it quicker if you create a team and pull together.

When you have a large task to achieve you should keep this in mind. It also brings to mind a much quoted saying: "Teamwork makes the dream-work."

So, the moral of this story? If you want to reach a goal and you want to reach it quickly - don't be a single draft horse!

Gary Simpson

Gary Simpson lives in Perth, Western Australia.

His passions are writing (of course), reading, karate, body building, investment and growing tropical palms.

His website is devoted to helping people achieve greater success and self esteem through personal development.

Gary is a regular contributor to numerous magazines and newspapers. His articles and short stories appear in many forums. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, they are now being shared worldwide.

He has written eight books:

LARGE VOLUMES:

- "Journey,Life and Destiny" - personal development (2 vols)

- "How to Save $1000's and Increase Your Personal Net Wealth"

- "Brain Training - Affirmations to Strengthen Mind and Body"

- "Strike Back 1" - Self Defence Instruction Manual

- "Strike Back 2" - Self Defence Instruction Manual

SHORT VOLUMES:

- "The Power of Choice" (FREE e-book) - a popular story about a man looking back on his achievements from the hereafter. It is a poignant story that has received accolades from all over the world - from Iceland to Canada to Great Britain to Morocco to New Zealand to the Czech Republic to the USA - and dozens of countries in between.

The Power of Choice is a free resource and can be downloaded directly from Gary's website.

- "Using Motivation and Self Esteem to Excel in Everything You Do" (FREE e-book) - valuable resource to introduce newcomers to the wonders of personal development. This book is available on request. You can secure your copy by leaving your name and email address (no "hotmail" addresses accepted) at his Motivation & Self Esteem for Success website.

Gary's unique approach has been shaped by his 35 year pursuit of karate and his 15 year study of the principles of motivation. He has two personal mottos. These are:

"Excellence of Execution."

and

"Imagination is Infinite."

You can learn a great deal about all matters regarding motivation and self esteem at his website. You will find articles, interviews with achievers, motivational messages and other material. You can even opt to receive free material by visiting the "zenspiration" page.

The Motivation and Self Esteem for Success website was constructed by Linda Caroll who Gary has called the "Kyoshi of Website Design" (In karate terminology Kyoshi means "Polished Master"). Visit Gary's website to see for yourself.