Years ago, Bob Snyder had the opportunity to go to the house of Bette Mandino, who is the widow of Og Mandino. Og Mandino is best known for writing the book, “The Greatest Salesman in the World” which is a book that had a big influence on Bob. While at Bette’s home, Bob listened as Bette told a story of when Og was writing “The Greatest Salesman in the World”. Og had reached the point in his writing of the story where the ten scrolls which held the wisdom of the world were being given to the camel boy and Og started asking the question, “Who am I to write that?”
“I don’t know what these ten scrolls are, I don’t know what all the wisdom of the ages is, I don’t know how to create a formula for success that individuals can follow.”
“What was I thinking?”
Og was beside himself and for the next couple weeks was an upset, depressed, and grumpy individual. Bette then says that one day she got a call from Og’s assistant who asked if Bette knows where Og is as he was not at work. Bette checked in Og’s office and found him there. He had been there all night and told Bette to leave him alone because he was in the zone. In 24 hours, he had written the ten scrolls and they were published with very few changes.
Bette told the group that if Og were there, he would say he was not the author of the ten scrolls but was an instrument or tool that was used to give the inspiration that was given him.
Bob highlights a few of the lessons we can learn from this story, one being that when we are given inspiration we need to write it down immediately. If we choose to think that we will remember what was given and write it down later or act on it later, there is a serious risk of forgetting it. Og was given inspiration and spent all night and all day writing it down. He didn’t sleep when the inspiration came, and he didn’t stop writing till he had it all down on paper. Bob instructs people to have a notepad or journal on hand so that when inspiration is given we are ready to write it down.
To hear the rest of the story and advice given by Bob, watch the video here.