Developing Relationships That Matter

Found this list in a post on socialcomputingjournal.com by Dyana Klein.

We should all be aware that we have become the individual we are today because of the many influencers in our lives: parents, siblings, extended family, high school friends, college friends, employers, co-workers and ultimately, the chief influencer, "JC" Himself.

Our life is the sum of all the parts these various influencers have contributed along our journey. Our exchanges with them has help mold us into the people we are today. In essence, success in life is built upon the foundation of relationships...genuine relationships that matter. Here's how you can be a key influencer in someone else's life.

Enjoy the list:

1. Don't Just SAY you Care. Actually CARE. If you don't care, find something you do care about and focus attention on that. [DW: "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." - Unknown]
2. Try to keep ONE channel where your "connections" are completely legitimate, and you don't add anyone you wouldn't truly vouch for.
3. We all love to talk, to be heard, to express our opinions... but amazing things happen when we close our mouths and listen.
4. Recognize that everyone has their own agenda, and find ways to create win/win scenarios.
5. Put yourself in the other person's shoes. This is a BIGGIE, and failing to do it has gotten me into more trouble than I care to admit.
6. Have passion..there is nothing more magnetic than someone completely "into" what they're doing.
7. Smile: It makes the world wonder what you are up to... possibly enough to engage with you just to find out more.
8. Be dependable. If you start a conversation or relationship... don't disappear. It creates distrust.
9. Be authentic. Over-the-top-ism is a turn off. We hear over and over about appreciating people who are real - Don't create a persona of real... just be. Be OK with the fact that not everyone will like you. Successfully accomplishing this will be incredibly liberating.

Whacko about Zappos!

Have you heard of Zappos.com?

It's an online shopping site that began by selling shoes, but has begun to explore other products. Their prices are good and the service is even better. I found them in FORTUNE magazine's top 100 places to work issue. They made the list at #24, but were the feature article of the segment.

What makes them so great? Zappos.com "offers free lunches, concierge services, and 100% coverage of health insurance premiums." (http://tiny.cc/CNNZappos) If you're a visual learner, you'll enjoy this brief clip from ABC's Nightline (http://tiny.cc/ZapposOnNightline).

So, what's the point?

Simply this: What if your experience in life was like working at Zappos? In the clip, CEO, Tony Hsieh makes the comment that he isn't the one mandating the culture/work climate at Zappos. The employees at Zappos.com have decided that they want to love what they do, so they have created an environment that allows people to be who they are, but expects everyone to give 100%. That's it.

Question for you: Are you giving your life 100%? If not, then why? What is keeping you from being all you were created to be and become?

Two quotes and we're done:

1) "It has been well said that our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only today of its strength." - Charles Spurgeon

2) "The tendency to follow the path of least resistance guarantees failure." - Brian Tracy

Make it a great day!

Why Sit Here Until We Die?

There's a story in the Bible where four lepers come to the realization that they are going to die. Yet, while they await their dreaded demise, they also know that they can take some action to improve their lives, at least for the moment. They complete their simple debate with, "Why sit here until we die?" In other words, why sit around waiting for the end when we can do something significant with the little bit of life we have remaining.

That's me. I've decided that I've been "sitting" way too long. Time to do something if only to start a blog. So, here you go!

We only get one "at bat" with our lives, so why not try to hit a home run and help your team win the game? That's my quest. To help others be successful. I think Zig Ziglar once said that if you help enough people get what they want out of life, eventually you'll get what you want as well.

My hope is that the Lord Jesus Christ will use my life to make an impact on others. I want them to see how He is the difference between an average life and an outstanding, home run life.

Stay tuned.