Thursday, October 01, 2009

Catalyst Connector

Both Ann and Joni are friends of mine. They also both happen to be people I've not yet had the pleasure of meeting in person. You see the friendships that I have developed with each of them came about through our exclusive interactions on Twitter and Facebook.

Despite the fact we have never met face to face I feel a real kinship to these women. They are fun and interesting and both have showed a tremendous amount of support for my work (Ann in fact gave a quote for my forthcoming second edition of my book). Both Joni and Ann have a fun and engaging energy and their often unique and sometimes playful responses to my posts or Tweets strike me as oddly similar; as if maybe these two were separated at birth.

Yesterday I suggested that they meet albeit virtually. I did this because something tells me they need to know one another. I don't know why but then again, it's not really my job to know exactly why is it?

Right now I would imagine you know at least two people that don't know one another but probably should. Call it an intuition, shared interests or just good 'ol compatibility something tells you that if these two people were to meet they would get along swimmingly.

So why haven't you done anything about it?

Here's the thing, most people have literally tons of great people in their wheelhouse of connections that should be interacting and connecting with other great people. The biggest reason that they aren't connected already is their own circumstances haven't exactly worked out so that their own paths cross naturally. That's where you come in!

Good connectors know who needs to be connecting and with whom. They continually scan their radar of good people and look for signs of compatibility and connection then spring into action. They don't sit ideally by and wait for the right opportunity to make the introductions, they create the opportunity! They pick up the phone, they fire off an email, Tweet or Facebook message or they arrange a coffee or lunch. They take action, get things in motion and calmly sit back and watch the Ripples happen from there.

So back to your wheelhouse of connections. Who needs to know who and more importantly what are you going to do about it?

I have absolutely no idea where the journey might lead with Ann and Joni but that's part of the mystery of wanting to find out. Heck if it turns out they become fast friends, which I suspect they will, who do you think will receive all the credit ten years from now? Uh huh...you're absolutely right!

Ripple On!!!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Are You Drinking Your Own Kool-Aid?


Here's a simple but important thought for you to consider on this fine Tuesday. Are you drinking your own Kool-Aid? What I mean is are you believing 100% in who you are right here, right now?


Do you believe in yourself?
Do you believe in your abilities?
Do you believe that you are the best person for ______ (fill in the blank).

Well do you?

Are you living the life you are intended to live?
Are you the "one" people want and need to know?
Are you contributing your true talents to the world?

Well are you?

Here's the deal...unless you believe in yourself you will never mange to get others to believe in you. But here's the other deal - their opinion, their belief, their commitment to you pales in comparison to the one you have of yourself. You have to be your very own cheerleader, supporter and #1 believer and of course drink your own Kool-Aid before others will want to drink as well.

So if the particular flavor of Kool-Aid you are presently drinking isn't the best tasting stuff then I submit you have a choice. Keep choking it down and be like the rest of the herd and never get much further above the fray or grab a new packet and start make a new batch - the right batch. Make the Kool-Aid you really want to drink! When you do that life will start opening the doors you need to walk through, introducing you the people you need to meet and helping you be the inspiration you were truly intended to be.

Ripple On!!!