We have made it over the hump and staring the end of the week along with 2011 right in the face. For the last several days, my nights have been even more restless than normal. I have thoughts upon thoughts floating through my head right now with everything going on around me.
I think the simplicity of life really started to hit me last Saturday coincidentally while I was at work. Would you believe that while working with clients, people actually still build relationships and give people the opportunity to get to know who they are doing business with. On more than one occasion while I was telling my story, I was often asked why I attended Jackson State University in my hometown of Jackson, Ms after spending the majority of my life in Germany. It was pretty simple for me to answer and say that I wanted to re-connect and strengthen my relationships with my family and friends there.
Many years later, I still consider the decision to attend JSU was probably one the best I could have ever made. As you are reading this, you are probably thinking that it was primarily the school and my amazing network that was built, but it was something so much simpler. Believe it or not, I loved the opportunity to build a deeper relationship with my grandparents and great-grandparents. Who would think in the course of helping others, I would be able to reflect on how my values were shaped through the relationships with some of the most respected people ever in my life.
How many people can say this? I was privileged to enjoy both my grandfathers for 24 years, my great-grandmother for 25 years, and my great-grandfather for 30 years before the passed away. I bet you are wondering where I am going with all this, but you will see shortly.
There's nothing in the world I would ever trade for the many conversations I had with these amazing people in my life. A common theme that I always got from them in a round about way was treating people right. My great-grandfather often told me to always put yourself in a position to help the next man/woman without hesitation. He said that you would live longer and put yourself in a position to where people would gravitate toward you because they see you genuinely want to see them in a better position. The rest of the lesson about who to let in your network I had to learn through trial and error. Through the simplest means my great-grandfather was always teaching me lessons that I would be using to teach others.
It is no secret that my thoughts are revolving around networks at this very moment.
What kind of network have you built for yourself? Do you have a formal/informal network? Do your networks overlap? Do you just look at networking from a career perspective? Life perspective? What does your network say about you?
I am writing with a heavy heart because this is the easiest way for me to deal with anything. As I finish my thoughts, hopefully everything comes full circle. Earlier this week, my mother's oldest brother Morris(Uncle Mo) passed away and I am thankful for my network/support system of people that have prayed and attempted to help me and my family over the last several days. I actually can see my Uncle Mo looking down on me right now saying, "I'm proud of you Lil Nephew for all that you try to do!" I can honestly say that I wouldn't be strong enough to even try and support my mother through this if I didn't have the network that have.
Thank you for your prayers and support toward me and my family during this time. Time and time again I have proving that I have one of the most amazing networks that anyone could ever wish to have.
"The way of the world is meeting people through other people."
-Robert Kerrigan
"It's all about people. It's about networking and being nice to people and not burning any bridges. Your book is going to impress, but in the end it is people that are going to hire you."
-Mike Davidson
"Position yourself as a center of influence - the one who knows the movers and shakers. People will respond to that, and you'll soon become what you project."
-Bob Burg
"And so I think that if the person has the funds, the network, and the equipment to do this, and also the experience, which is the key factor, then they can be quite deadly."
-John Abizaid
“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.”
-Jane Howard
“A system is a network of interdependent components that work together to try to accomplish the aim of the system. A system must have an aim. Without the aim, there is no system.”
-W. Edwards Deming
“People like me have to have the discipline only to work for clients, corporations, political people, products, services, networks that we believe in and we want to see succeed.”
-Francois de la Rochefoucauld
The successful networkers I know, the ones receiving tons of referrals and feeling truly happy about themselves, continually put the other person's needs ahead of their own.
Bob Burg
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