THE NEW YOU EXPERIMENTATION
Friday, Oct. 11, 2019
Pick the next new person who crosses your path – socially, at work; make them your choice.
Be different with that person. Just with that one. Say and do things that contribute to making a new friend, colleague, or business associate – stretch more, offer more, do more, spend time and effort more than your ‘normal practice.’
Your results will likely be disappointing.
You might ask: “If it is likely to be disappointing, why do it?”
Exactly. Why make that effort at all?
Before you agree with me, think of three people you already know well – people who matter to you, ones who would agree you matter to them.
Ask how meaningful those relationships are to you, how they differ from others, and why you don’t want to live your life without those people in your orbit …
Now, back to the beginning.
Pick the next new person who crosses your path – socially, or at work; make them your choice.
Be different with that person. Just with that one. Say and do things that contribute to making a new friend, colleague, or business associate – stretch more, offer more, do more, spend time and effort more than your ‘normal practice.’
Feel that difference?
Same test-subject; premise the same, but your perspective changed, seeing that new person through a different lens. Sure, it might be disappointing – all good relationships need a gestation period, but now there is an attitude change that can make a huge difference.
Every day, think that way – not forever; give it a fair chance.
Let time pass, then ask whether you want the new you or to be your same old way?
Reader feedback:
Never stop. Learning is the only frontier worth pursuing, AG, Cancun, Mex.
Hi(gh) Mark, another thoughtful, well-written piece. I'm going to send it on to Medium, so I can give you some generous claps. I wrote an article that was accepted by and published yesterday on Medium's Better Marketing publication. I'm mentioning this self-promotion because it's on a topic that seems to reflect your past career also. (I use the word 'also' partly in jest because you were much more successful in your real estate ventures than I was.) Their title for the article is "Why You Should Send Thanksgiving Cards to Your Clients." I liked my original title better, but that may because I'm not following the suggestions you made in your article above. I have a hard time often with musing before speaking and writing. Again, great article, column, or anything else you choose to call your writing, AC, Bedford, VA
So true Mark. And I think the more important the lesson, the more likely we wish we’d learned the lesson earlier, LH, Lethbridge, AB
