I had the pleasure of meeting up with my old friend Clement a few weeks ago. We first met when we were four years old, in pre-school, and have remained friends ever since. But, I hadn't seen him in about seven years, since we now live in different states; although we do keep in touch consistently. And quite frankly, I've missed being able to hang out, play ball and just spend time with him.
Is there anything quite as comfortable, powerful and as needed as great friendships in our lives?
We chose to watch a baseball game in San Diego. The picture above is of us on the concourse behind the outfield fence (I'm on the left.) His favorite team was playing the Padres and we thought a baseball game would be the ideal way for us to have a good time and get caught up on our lives.
As soon as I saw him, it was like nothing had changed. As weird as it was to be hanging with him, it also seemed perfectly natural, like my time away had never happened. And it felt good!
When we went to grab dinner, he offered to pay. I tried to refuse and insist that I buy dinner. He didn't see it that way. I guess he felt that since I had a long drive to get to the game, the least he could do was buy dinner. As for me, I felt that since he bought my tickets to the game, the least I could do was buy him dinner. I didn't think of my drive to San Diego as a big deal, since I would have driven hours to have been able to hang out with Clement.
Isn't that how it is in relationships we really value? Everyone is more concerned about what they give into it, instead of worrying about what you're getting out of it. And in turn, even when you're giving, you get above and beyond what you put into it.
The same holds true in our professional lives too, doesn't it? In a world where we measure success by the titles we have, the money we earn, the positions we hold, and the initials after our names-perhaps we shouldn't forget that our success is often based on and includes the relationships we've created and developed along the way.
Now it’s your turn! Who are you most thankful for in your life? Who were the influential people in your career that helped you get to where you are? Are you the one investing or withdrawing in the people around you?
I invite you to comment below!
Is there anything quite as comfortable, powerful and as needed as great friendships in our lives?
We chose to watch a baseball game in San Diego. The picture above is of us on the concourse behind the outfield fence (I'm on the left.) His favorite team was playing the Padres and we thought a baseball game would be the ideal way for us to have a good time and get caught up on our lives.
As soon as I saw him, it was like nothing had changed. As weird as it was to be hanging with him, it also seemed perfectly natural, like my time away had never happened. And it felt good!
When we went to grab dinner, he offered to pay. I tried to refuse and insist that I buy dinner. He didn't see it that way. I guess he felt that since I had a long drive to get to the game, the least he could do was buy dinner. As for me, I felt that since he bought my tickets to the game, the least I could do was buy him dinner. I didn't think of my drive to San Diego as a big deal, since I would have driven hours to have been able to hang out with Clement.
Isn't that how it is in relationships we really value? Everyone is more concerned about what they give into it, instead of worrying about what you're getting out of it. And in turn, even when you're giving, you get above and beyond what you put into it.
The same holds true in our professional lives too, doesn't it? In a world where we measure success by the titles we have, the money we earn, the positions we hold, and the initials after our names-perhaps we shouldn't forget that our success is often based on and includes the relationships we've created and developed along the way.
- If you want to be a good leader, develop good relationships with the people you lead.
- If you’d like to close more sales, focus less on “hard closing” the deal and more on finding what your customers really want and giving it to them.
- If you want the large corner office and the fancy title, you need to start now to cultivate the relationships you’ll need to move forward.
Now it’s your turn! Who are you most thankful for in your life? Who were the influential people in your career that helped you get to where you are? Are you the one investing or withdrawing in the people around you?
I invite you to comment below!
Tags: friendship, power of friends, circle of friends, communication tips, communication training, success, relationship optimization, relationship difference, rommel Anacan, sales, customer service, leadership, relationship, training, keynote speaking, consulting, services, relationship-driven, orange county trainer, multi family housing, property management, professional development, organizational development, speaking, sales coaching, life coach, professional coaching, customer service, client relations,
