Help Others to Help You Succeed

"You can have everything you want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want" - Zig Ziglar

Most people mistakenly believe that the biggest obstacles to their success are external circumstances. What successful people understand is that, while external circumstances can make success more difficult, if you're willing to work hard enough and collaborate effectively, you can succeed in any circumstances.

If you've been watching the news at all in the last year or two, you know it's been impossible to avoid the doom and gloom news about the economy. It's everywhere. Now first let me saw that I don't for a minute want to trivialize the significant impact the economy has had on the lives of many people. The issues created by our struggling economy are real and they create real consequences. However, in situations like this, it can become all too easy to use circumstances as an excuse not to achieve at the levels we should. What successful people realize is that you must take responsibility for your success and commit to realize your potential no matter what. No matter what the circumstances are, there are always companies who succeed. Those who succeed no matter what, are those who understand today's success principal: if you help enough other people succeed, you increase the odds that you'll succeed as well.

So, how can you help other people and how can you make it easier for them to help you? The specifics will depend on your career and what you're trying to achieve, but there are some general principals that apply to everyone. The first of these is that you have to learn to swallow your pride. Too many people think that real success is a D-I-Y project. We love to be independent and self-sufficient. What we have to accept, is that successful people are great collaborators. They know how to allow others to support them and help them succeed. Once we get passed our egos, we still have to learn how to make it easy for others to help us succeed.

Here are a few ways that you can help others to succeed:

• Recommend products and services that you have benefited from - Most companies become a success at least in part, because of the recommendations of their best customers
• Help people connect - If you know two people who may be able to benefit from each others' services, put them in touch with each other. They'll both benefit and they'll both appreciate the effort you made to help them
• Complain if you don't receive the product or service you expect - While no one enjoys listening to complaints, smart companies actually appreciate constructive complaints because it helps them discover weaknesses and improve.
  

Here are just a few of the things you can do to make it easy for others to help you:

• Always carry your business cards (I know this is obvious, but it's also critical)
• Write thank you notes to anyone who helps you with anything
  
• Meet as many people as you can and be sure they know what you do and how you can help them realize their goals
  
• Provide value to others. The more you help others to achieve their goals, the more they'll want to help you to achieve yours.

So go out today and help someone else to succeed. Then do it again tomorrow. Continue until you achieve all of your goals:)

To your success,
Mark

Re-Discovering and Joy and Happiness in Your LIfe - PART 2

In my last blog post, I talked about three ways that each of us can re-discover the joy and happiness in our lives that too many people have forgotten. In this post, I'll outline two more ways that we can all be joyful and happy in our lives.

4. Be Happy Where You Are

Most of us tend to think that we could be happy IF this or that happened. If only, we think, I had the right job, the right house, the right spouse, etc.. then I'd be happy. On the surface, this seems logical. Our circumstances seem to be the source of our UN-happiness, so if we could change our circumstances, then we could be happier. Right? Maybe for a little while. But as anyone who has won the lottery or landed their dream job will tell you, even the joy and happiness from significantly positive life circumstances fades rather quickly. In fact, surveys have been done with lottery winners that show their level of happiness returns back to the same level it was at before they won the lottery is a very short period of time.

So, one the major secrets to happiness is to realize that if you aren't happy where you are now, you aren't likely to be able to be happy someone else either. So stop chasing after the next great thing that is going to make you happy and work on learning to be happy where you are. Happiness is not a matter or circumstance, it's a matter of choice.

5. Give it Away

One of the biggest obstacles to authentic happiness is selfishness and self-obsession. When we turn in too much on ourselves it become virtually impossible to find happiness. So if you're in a funk, depressed and otherwise unhappy, instead of focussing on how you can make yourself happier, find a way to bring joy to someone else. Volunteer at a senior's centre, visit an old friend, spend time with your kids doing things they want to do. What I believe you'll discover is that the surest path to authentic happiness and joy and service.

One of my favourite quotes comes from Zig Zigglar, famous motivational speaker, who said, “You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” So go out there and bring joy and happiness to as many other people as you can. Then look in the mirror and watch the smile appear on your face:)