P assing

O ver

O pportunities

R egularly

Today as I was shopping at Office Depot, two things happened. First, I saw a fella who looked like a guy who leads a group I do marketing training with. Of course, I knew it wasn’t him; I can’t even begin to imagine what he would be doing in our sleepy little community. But this doppleganger was wearing a tan duster & cowboy hat, just as I’ve seen my training mentor wear in many pictures. Seeing this man reminded me of my training and bolstered my confidence to approach people with “presence” today.

The second thing that happened is that I got a text message from a random guy, totally by mistake. The following is our conversation:

Area code 313:  “Hey sexy”

Me: “Who is this?”

Area code 313:  “Leon “

Me: “Do I know you? “

Area code 313:  “Yes. wait who this “

Me: “I think you have the wrong #, sir. Are you interested in a home based business? “

Area code 313:  “Lol lol sorry “

Me: “no problem. Have a blessed day! and if you decide you want a home biz, check out (my current promo website) “

Area code 313:  “Ok i will. thanks. you too “

(5 minutes later) “What kind of home biz is this”

Me: ” ‘Green’ cleaning products. Safe 4 kids, pets, environment “

Area code 313: “Oh cool”

Thus the conversation ended. I don’t know who Leon is, or what kind of person he is. I have no idea what his current financial situation is, or what his interests are. BUT regardless, I got his interest. He WILL remember me. He WILL tell others about this crazy lady who tried to sell him on something. Will he be interested? I don’t know, but someone MAY. You never know when you interact with people who will be the one who has a genuine interest in what you are doing, or if they might know someone else who would be.

I don’t take this approach with every person I meet, although I am aware of people’s responses as I strike up random conversations (which I do anyway). However, as I have heard my friend Grayson Marshall say on many occasions, “Opportunities aren’t missed; they’re simply passed on to somebody else.” Why be shy & have that  opportunity pass you by?   You have nothing to lose, especially with a stranger. At worst, you have planted a seed of the dream of freedom!

P.S.  A third thing happened. Here it is, April 7th, with Easter less than a week away, and there were SNOW FLURRIES! In GA!

Ah, whatever.

There are big ships and small ships.  But the best ship of all is friendship.  ~Author Unknown

I am once again amazed at the power of social media networks.

I have met some interesting people on various networking sites, and have placed them in categories:  Business Associates, Family, Church Friends, and School Chums to name a few.  Of course, some of these folks overlap categories.

But here’s the interesting part.  There are people from my “past” (i.e., former schoolmates) who I only vaguely knew or didn’t know at all. Yet somehow, despite our diverse backgrounds and personal histories since leaving school, we have now become friends! There are those who have eerily similar backgrounds who are traveling an equally similar path. There are people I never thought I would consider being friends with, yet we have common factors that have drawn us together.

These are people I don’t know if I will ever meet in person, yet we have formed a bond that grows stronger as we share the trials and triumphs of our daily lives.  I can count on these folks to do me a favor, to pray, to share things I’ve posted with others who may find them useful. We offer one another feedback in our business endeavors and help promote those businesses.

So here’s the question: How many people do you have in your “REAL” life you can ask these things of and count on them to do it?  I want to say, “Thank You” to all of these friends – new, old, business, personal, and other.

THIS is what Social Media, Network Marketing, Web 2.0, or whatever you choose to call it is really about. It’s about relationships, building upon those we already have and forming new ones. It’s about getting involved in one another’s lives. I’m grateful to be a part of this age, with these tools I use on a daily basis to connect with so many wonderful people all around the globe!

If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself alone.  A man should keep his friendships in constant repair.  ~Samuel Johnson