I have several Eagles songs on my iPod. I know that it’s become fashionable to bash the Eagles these days, but I was a fan years ago and am still a fan today. “Desperado” is my favorite Eagles song. It came up on the shuffle the other day when I was flying home from a week of consulting work. As I was listening, I was struck by the following words…
“And freedom, oh freedom well, that’s just some people talking, Your prison is walking through this world all alone.”
These lyrics are right on—in personal life and career and professional life. You are putting yourself into a self-imposed prison if you choose to go it alone. We all need other people in our lives if we’re going to grow, flourish and create our life and career success. That’s why building and nurturing strong relationships is one of the keys to creating the life and career success you want and deserve.
Staying Centered in Life and Work
Other people can keep you centered and feeling valued and special. But I think it’s just as important to do the same for them. Tweet 129 in my career advice book Success Tweets says, “There is no quid pro quo in effective relationships. Do for others without being asked or waiting for them to do for you.”
By staying in touch with friends, you’ll not only be helping yourself and your mindset, you may be helping these folks. You never know who is going through a rough patch in their life. I have had many people say to me, “I’m glad you called, I really need to talk to somebody about…”, when I have called to say hello.
So pick up the phone this holiday season, or send an email or even take the time to mail a handwritten note to your friends for no reason. Be there to listen to them when they are dealing with tough stuff. Because when you help others, they’ll be there for you when you need them.
Your Ear May Truly Be Needed
There is an important common sense point here. Strong relationships are the key to your success. Build strong relationships by following the life and career advice in tweet 129. Once again, for emphasis, “There is no quid pro quo in effective relationships. Do for others without being asked or waiting for them to do for you.” Don’t just get in touch with friends when you need something. Stay in touch to build and strengthen your relationship with them. You never know when someone might really need to hear a friendly voice on the other end of the line.
By the way, you can download a free copy of Success Tweets at www.SuccessTweets.com. Please do so. It’s my way of staying in touch with you.
