draft idea- relationships we form through the countless conversations
Have you ever given thought to how and why we are continually evolving and adapting our lives and direction? Often, we are so busy working, looking after others and distracted by a myriad of things that we overlook the importance of setting aside time to consider how far we have come and where we are heading, let alone think about what we really aspire to. We need to make time. That is one thing that the CoVid-19 restrictions have enforced on us. Time to reflect and review.
How have our thoughts, values, relationships and even our businesses evolved? Who and what have inspired us? How can we pay it forward? There is no doubt in my mind that our lives take direction primarily from the relationships we form through the countless conversations, actions and accidents in our lives, coupled with our personal attributes, evolving knowledge and diverse personal experience.
If only we could stop comparing ourselves to others and understand that we each have our own gifts and identity and have the choice to adapt and evolve to become the person we choose!
One way to make sure that we continually evolve and become a well-rounded human being is to take an interest in others and understand that there is more than one way to live a life. When we meet and observe people from other cultures who have backgrounds unlike our own, it fosters curiosity and broadens our view of the world. We benefit from understanding not everyone views the world as we do; each person has their own perspective based on their experiences.
Before this year, and into the future, I say, travel is an excellent teacher taking us far beyond the classroom and formal education. It helps us recognise how everyone’s circumstances, including our own, can create blind spots, insensitivity and lack of empathy through differences in knowledge and experience. Travel pushes us out of our comfort zone as we sometimes have to face intense challenges and new opportunities present themselves. Our practical understanding and knowledge of world history and geography increase as we witness the far reaching impact of social, political and economic action in communities large and small.
If you have ever travelled to a foreign country, I am sure you’ve had to adjust your communication style to find the help you needed; perhaps even relied on your acting ability to get a point across. Resourcefulness is a skill travellers need to develop, along with patience, respect, flexibility and determination.
One year we took a family holiday to Europe and, while travelling in Italy, our daughter was hospitalised with expected appendicitis. As none of us spoke Italian, we had to be creative and manage the situation by drawing on those around us, including asking one of the hospital cleaning staff to act as our interpreter!
Local knowledge and experience definitely has its benefits. When we share a common language and culture, it is so much easier to join in and find the solutions we need. I admire people who move countries and have to face into all the challenges of dealing with new surrounds with no support network and often a language barrier. It can be the same when we set out to build a business. There are occasions when we need to rely on others to translate for us. For example, terms like SEO, ABN, IT, CRM, GST, NGO, Adwords, Vlog, Insta, may seem like a foreign language, but we need to learn them to communicate effectively with those in our space. Evolve and Inspire 75 It is important to find a group or community where you feel supported and can seek expertise and have questions answered. Can you see why networking is a valuable part of a business strategy? In addition to generating leads and transactions, it provides connections for finding the solutions you need to support your ideas and refine and grow your businesses. I have made numerous connections and friendships through my business that originally fitted into one of four categories – supplier, client, referrer, friend – yet have evolved into relationships that now extend beyond a single category. Our willingness to support each other and help resolve challenges has often enabled us to reset and find renewed inspiration and enthusiasm for what we do. A further benefit of building a network is having the chance to think beyond ourselves, giving us the chance to be energised and motivated by others when hearing practical and inspiring stories of other individuals who have been motivated to take action. Sometimes deliberately, and sometimes unconsciously, we learn from people we relate to or people who influence us by sharing their experiences, stories and knowledge. Their example can often become a driver for us to inspire and motivate others. Watching from
