Image Credit: evoo73
I just started reading a free e-book by Seth Godin entitled “What Matters Now” which is a collaborative effort of more than seventy champions in their chosen field including Tom Peters, Jason Fried, Guy Kawasaki, Gary Vaynerchuk, Gina Trapani, and many other big thinkers including Seth himself. So far it’s proving to be thought provoking and action stimulating.
Grab a free copy and see for yourself how “big thoughts and small actions make a difference.” There are no hidden gotchas or motives, although many readers will eventually become customers, followers, or fans of the contributors they connect with simply because they gave something of value first. We all buy from those we trust so it’s no accident that the first key point focuses on generosity as the book itself is a great example of that virtue in action. Did I mention that it costs zero-point-zero dollars? Generosity sparked it all.
It was because of generosity that I was first introduced to many of these champions in the first place. I discovered Jason Fried of 37signals because of the company’s generous free version of “BackPack” which eventually led to a much deeper connection with their philosophy of simplicity. So naturally, with time I became a loyal customer and purchased other services. The same is true for Seth’s blog. It requires a consistent investment of his time and talent to speak about marketing in a way that matters. As a result of reading his blog I’ve purchased several of his books. The most recent example of generosity happened unexpectedly from a dog trainer shortly after we adopted our newest family member, a two year old pitt bull male named Trigger. Chris Black of Elite Dog Training gave generously of his time to ensure that everyone in our dog pack got along successfully. It was because of his passion and time investment, long before we hired him, that he is now the guy we turn to whenever we need help with our dogs.
Zig Ziglar has been saying for years that “you can get everything in life you want if you will help enough other people get what they want.” This is quite different than the horde mentality of mediocrity which says, “I’ll give so long as I get.” Ziglar, the writers of the e-book, and my dog-trainer all get it. Generosity should be a continual outward action that shows up at home, in the office, at the gym, or on the Internet. Wherever we are we are to GIVE. We are to make an investment in the world around us. In doing that, we make a difference in the lives of others and ourselves. Each of us are rewarded by this undeniable law when we are generous with our time, money, and talents.
How can you be most generous with your time?
How can you be most generous with your money?
How can you be most generous with your talents?
