Never Eat Alone

Take a little Tim Sanders, some Dale Carnegie, and whole lot of Keith Ferrazzi and you'll be a networking pro.

Ferrazzi, along with Tahl Raz, in his book Never Eat Alone, does a great job of sharing his experience on networking with others. If you're already well networked, then this book may be worth a quick skim to sharpen your tools. However, if you find difficulty developing and discovering key relationships that will help you excel in business, this book is a great place to start.

When I first saw the title a long time ago I didn't pick it up because the title seem to be pretty self explanatory. After hearing so many people talk about it, I finally decided to take it for a spin. I'm glad I did.

Would you do anything for your boss?

The other morning I had the pleasure of hearing Don Hutson speak. Don is co-author, with Ken Blanchard and Ethan Willis, of The One Minute Entrepreneur.

Don asked one of those questions that on any given day would not seem like that big of deal. Still, it sparked further thinking. His question was, "Have you ever had a boss that you would do absolutely anything for?"

The quick response in my head was "yes."

Then, in less than a second, my mind quickly started comparing a list of things I would do for that boss vs. Jesus. The outcome was disappointing to me at first as I started noticing that Jesus' list was shorter. So, I started asking "why?" The question has consumed my thoughts over the last 48hours.

After much reflection, good thoughts began to surface. I realized the reason I would do so much for this other guy isn't because I think he's better than Jesus. Rather it is because of the way Christ is lived out in his own life. I would do a lot for this guy, because in many ways he has been Jesus to me.

Is Jesus seen by others in your life?

Assume the worst has happened

Tim Sander's post, A prescription to handle worry or stress, made me think about a report I heard on the radio last week. In short, research has indicated that humans tend to worry about future possibilities more than actual reality.

In other words, you and I are inclined to lose productivity, be more depressed, and fear the idea that we might have cancer. However, if we discovered today that you or I actually have cancer, we would be able to cope with the reality of the news better than the possibility of the news.

The report indicates humans are better at coming to terms with "what is" and moving on with life. Thinking pessimistically really does create mental roadblocks and it effects all of our decisions.

If this problem describes you, then why not just assume the worst has already happened? Imagine the possibility of good things that might take place. Back to our example, if you assume you had cancer today what choices would you make differently? Would you start eating healthier? Would you start connecting better with loved ones?

How would your life change if you assumed the economy has already hit the bottom rather than fearing more bad news to come? Rosamund Stone Zander & Benjamin Zander, also provide some great thoughts on overcoming fear in their book, The Art of Possibility. It's one of the best books you'll ever read.