If I were 22 again, I periodically wonder, how would my life be different because I know how to Network, Give & Dream?
Despite myself, the choices I made and life activities I got involved in, I did pretty good getting to where I am today.
There are three very specific insights I now have that I wish I would have known and better yet, fully understood as I walked off that stage. I’ll share them with you so that you may find them useful or discover your own insights that can be beneficial to you in your journey through life.
Insight # 1 – Build strong positive networks of people in your life
Queen Latifah said,”Look at people for an example, but then make sure to do things your way. Surround yourself with positive people.”
Colin Powell said, “Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard.”
I heard lots of these quotes before I started my career. What I failed to do was fully understand the value of these insights.
If I had truly known and understood this insight when I was 22, I would have worked harder to meet more positive, smart, fun and encouraging people in my life.
I know it’s the people in my life that have helped me to find new ideas, philosophies, career and business ideas. I am grateful for the diversity and positive power of my network today. If I were building this great network of people back when I was 22, I may have been able to create far more success and happiness for the people in my life as well as myself.
Bonus – Allow your networks to overlap. Don’t keep your friends & family, career & business and civic & community networks segmented away from each other. Let them organically overlap.
Building strong networks that are able to overlap is an insight I wish I understood as I started my professional career. We build strong networks of positive people by meeting someone new every single day of our lives.
Insight # 2 – Giving is the most powerful way to achieve success
As a child I learned that giving was important in life. My parents taught me this in many ways. However, I did not learn that giving is a critical component of business and success until many many years later.
Once I learned the power of giving in business I built a business model that allows me to give away 50% of my time every day. I jokingly say that the I beg for money the other 50% of my day. Aren’t most entrepreneurs in some way or another quietly begging?
The give-back part of my business is all about helping others in any way I can. The absolute mandatory key to make this work is that I must “Give with no Expectations.” Otherwise, this entire business model will fail.
My primary give-back is in the area of volunteer job search groups. I will never turn down a request to help and/or speak to any local job search groups. I even took “ownership” of a dying group in Winston-Salem NC that I now run. With all of this volunteer work, I focus on the individuals and do what ever I can to help those I meet.
Almost never directly because of my give-back, but very often as an indirect benefit of doing so, my business continues to grow, flourish and thrive. And, for this I am very, very grateful.
I know that not giving will affect my business in a negative way. My wife and I have proved this time and time again. When I get selfish and don’t help others, times get tougher and business suffers. I have never really “tested” this, but I have seen it happen in my life and for this reason, I will not “test” that I don’t need to give back.
Bonus – You don’t need to sweat, labor or spend lots of money to give. Often the least expensive “give” is the most powerful in life. The least expensive way to “give” is to “listen.” Read “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.
Giving with no expectations is vital in life, career and business. I know this, because I prove it every single day.
Insight # 3 – Find something you love to do and you’ll never work a day in your life.
#IfIWere22 again, could I decide on that one thing that I love to do? In total hindsight, I doubt I would have a clue.
However, I do know this, I figured out what I love to do through these steps:
meeting someone new every single day of my life
having open conversations about ideas and philosophies
dreaming about ways I could make money without working
believe in myself and my abilities (now & future)
letting no barriers get in my way as I explore and imagine.
Setting my goals on achieving my dream as I envisioned and eventually planned
No, I doubt that when I was 22 I could have made a decision as big as the one I eventually made. Quit working for someone else and start a business where I give away 50% of my time every day, while I coach, train, speak and write about networking and the proper use Social Media. To be completely fair, Social Media did not exist back then.
However, who knows the different path I could have taken to get here. Maybe I could have discovered more cool ideas and made my big mistakes earlier in my life. I’m never going to wish away the choices I made in my life. Most of them have been absolutely beautiful & life enriching.
Yet, I periodically wonder, what could have happened if I had only known how to Network, Give & Dream at 22.
If you want to learn more Networking Skills read my book Networking for Mutual Benefit.
If you want to learn more Social Media Skills read my book Success using Social Media.
If you need coaching on LinkedIn so that you can manage your networks better, consider my LinkedIn Coaching Program.
* This post was written by Career Confidential LinkedIn Expert Teddy Burriss of Burriss Consulting, Inc. Follow Teddy Burriss on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook to learn more about his Social Media Coaching and Career Transition services.