January 2, 2009

The Power of How

Have you ever received a call or an email from someone ‘out of nowhere’? Have you ever burned a bridge you later regretted burning? Have you ever called someone you haven't spoken with in a while?

I have often said, never burn a bridge despite all temptation and everyone is a contact. The last few hours of 2008 were topped off with a nice gift from a respected colleague. Mitch Joel published his 09 Blogs To Watch In 09.

It is with great honor that I share the list with Hugh McGuire, Sebastein Provencher, the contributors at MediaShift, Scott Karp, Mark Evans, Roberto Rocha, Michael S. Hyatt and Jay Rosen.

Mitch and I met a hundred years ago. We reconnected through Facebook and I’ve been picking his big brain every since. If we had treated each other badly those many years ago, that connection would not have happened – out of nowhere.

And if you don’t read or listen to Six Pixels of Separation, what’s wrong with you? Ha! You should.

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Another regular stop for me is with Chris Brogan. Chris put out a challenge for all of us to find three words that best describe goals for 2009. You can read Chris’ words here. So I will see that challenge and add my three:

Imagine
The human mind’s imagination has no boundaries. What gets in the way, is the human. If you are in a situation where your imagination is stilted, then find a new situation. If we blame the economy, then let’s all give up now and live in tents. Lose the word “can’t” and get used to saying 'can' and 'how'.

Create
Mark Twain said “actions speak louder than words”. 2009 is about action and if you are with people who aren’t helping you do that, run away from them. They are not helping you. They aren’t going to help you. Move on. If you are the one causing the inaction, get going!

Share
If you are a painter who hides your creations in the basement, it’s safe to say your collection will never been shown at MOMA.

If you feel you are sharing your ideas with negative people be warned that they will suck your soul from your eyeballs. Stay away from these people. Share often, share with those who want to share back. Teamwork is alive and well and this time we mean it.

But don't become a closed-minded bully. In order to imagine, create and share you must be open to allow others to do the same. The next time you get a call 'out of nowhere' from someone who enjoyed collaborating with you, don't be surprised.

I will add one more word for 2009 but this one can be added at any stage and that is impatience. It is a sad waste of talent and time when any of us get sidetracked by naysayers and complainers.

I know I used to be both.

So mark it on your to-do list for 2009 to be that "out of nowhere" person for someone else. The results will amaze you.

Tag, you're it. What are your three words?

km

 
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