Giving is the Best Way of Getting

I just finished my video for this evening. It was the reflection of great sadness and great joy.

Sadness, because today would have been my mother’s 100^th Birthday, and while I have no illusions that she might have made it to 100. She did come close. I’m sad because it would have been nice to share, Misfire: What to Do When Things Aren’t Running on All Cylinders, with her. Moving through that journey with her and then being able to hand her a signed copy of the book would have been really special.

I know… They never really leave us. But it would still be nice to lean over and give her a hug.

The great joy I alluded to earlier came from watching a young shop owner — one of Misfire’s test readers — experience a very important moment. A moment of clarity and understanding with regard to the key metrics of his business.

Misfire served as the vehicle for his breakthrough — pun intended. He saw himself reflected in the book’s central character and that provided all the motivation he needed to find another path: to choose a different destination. I’ve been helping him with additional support materials and guidance and tonight was the night he was able to see one of the critical relationships he really needed to understand.

Unless you’ve been there and done that. Unless you’ve struggled and strained yourself. You can’t know how good it feels to help someone else avoid that pain. How good it feels to give, and then receive the satisfaction that flows from helping someone avoid the same mistakes you’ve made on their way to a better way and success.

The opportunities are there. They are all around us. All we have to do is take the hand reaching out for help and then share our knowledge and experience.