It’s better to give than receive, but we gotta eat. Right? We can’t keep giving forever… or can we?
What happens when we try to take more than we give? Or when we try to take credit for things that aren't really our work? I discuss this and more on this episode of the podcast.
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The secret to success
When they're trying to get ahead in life, people normally ask “what’s in it for me.” In fact, I tried the “what’s in it for me?” approach for a lot of years, but nobody was really interested. They were all interested in themselves.
When I stopped and looked around, though, I realized the most successful people I know aren’t takers — they’re givers. And when I tried to follow their lead, I discovered an amazing trick:
Stop keeping score. (Tweet that)
Instead of worrying about whether something will benefit me or cost me, I learned to just think about what was right. I stopped wasting time keeping track of favors, and I ended up just being a friend.
More highlights
Be sure to listen to the episode to catch the detail behind these nuggets:
- 3:20: Marcy from mudpiewriting.com shared a little bit about how devastated she was when her literary agent quit before she had a chance to sell her debut novel and how she recovered her confidence after finding Jeff’s blog.
- 12:20: The most successful people in the world are givers. But some of the least successful people in the world are also givers. So what gives? Check out Give and Take from Adam Grant.
- 18:29: Find out what happened when bestselling author Jonah Lehrer decided to not give proper credit, and my own example of how tempting it can be to embellish the story…just a little. (You'll also find out how smart my wife is.)
- 26:20: “You can have everything in life you want, if you will help just enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar (Tweet that)
- 28:40: I predict a new market emerging for simple dumb phones. People will crave a more minimalistic experience. And I will buy one.
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Be a friend
I know a lot of people are skeptical about this. I sure was when I started trying it. But trust me, it works.
What can you do for someone today to help them get what they want? Share it in the comments.
