Have you seen a picture of Parthenon in Athens, Greece? I will never forget walking up to massive granite ruins. The size and power still remaining in a building constructed 2500 years ago is overwhelming!

Although roof lies on ground, in pieces, most of columns that supported it are in place. There are a lot of columns!

I think of Parthenon’s roof often. If its’ roof had not been supported by all those columns it never would have lasted as long as it did. By any standards, it lasted a long time.

I have a roof, which shelters my family and I call it a financial or revenue roof. It provides for all our basic needs. Revenue or income also emotionally supports us, and provides extras we enjoy in our lives.

I do not want my roof to fall in. My Parthenon Principle is to support this financial roof with as many columns as possible. If one column of income collapses (and they always do) there are others to take weight so that complete revenue structure will not crash on our heads.

Another way to look at this is - do you have all your eggs in one basket? Is your entire income dependant on one source? What would happen to you if that source disappeared?

"If you're someone who wants to break out and do something extraordinary that you would not do on your own initiative, you better have a coach-and you better have a great one."

If you doubt Mr. Brooke's quote may I suggest you investigate all top success icons in any field and you will find they all have Mentors and Coaches. It is reported that Michael Jordon at peak of his career had 11 coaches.

You may be asking: what's difference between a Mentor and a Coach? Webster's dictionary defines a . . .

Mentor as: "An experienced and trusted friend and prudent advisor."

Coach as: "a private tutor; one who instructs or trains a performer or a team of performers."

We have defined two types of Mentors - Life and Area Specific Mentors. A Life Mentor is one whose success system or methodology is universal and foundation for success in every area of a person's life.

Finding a Life Mentor whose success system is universal to everyone, no matter his or her education, talents or social status, is extremely difficult. This is why Napoleon Hill, author of Think & Grow Rich, is so unique and ideal Life Mentor because his success system is foundation for every outstanding achievement and fortune ever made.

An Area Specific Mentor is a mentor, often referred to as a "coach," whose knowledge and expertise is in one or a few areas of life. For example, a head coach of a National Football League (NFL) team possesses knowledge, skills and a system encompassing all aspects of game. However, he utilizes coaches skilled in different areas of game such as offense, defense and special teams.

Below are six areas in life where we can use Area Specific Mentors/Coaches:

1) Physical/Health 2) Family 3) Mental/Educational 4) Career/Financial 5) Social/Civic 6) Spiritual/Ethical

Seriously you say, do we and specifically myself really need a mentor? Let's look at facts:

No one person will live long enough to make all of mistakes

In simple terms, mentors speed learning process and are reason for advancements in technology and standards of living we enjoy today.