make someone happy - Networking Ahead for Business

On the last day of the year, I like to spend a few minutes reflecting upon my year: the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful. I pulled out the carefully prepared 2012 New Year?s Resolutions and Personal Goals that typed and printed.? I had kept this list visible in my kitchen for most of the year, but it managed to get buried under the piles of family paperwork near the telephone. I just saw it again for the first time in a while.

Over-goal setting

I chuckled when I looked at the length of the goal list and the incredible detail behind my intentions. While other people may write down things like ?lose weight? or ?spend more time with friends,? I had carefully crafted a list of 14 goals, many with multiple goals within each goal.

Yes. I am an overachiever. That being said, I reached 5 of the 14 goals, including my major health goal and financial goal. I gave myself partial credit for Goal #12 which was to earn a 2nd Dan Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. I tested for that belt in November, which is likely to be awarded in 3-6 months or so (the final test of patience).

New Years Resolution for 2013

While walking the dog this morning with my husband, I asked him about his 2013 New Year?s Resolution. He said ?to spend more time making my wife happy.? I was so deeply touched that I stopped in my tracks. Wow! What an incredible focus ? on someone other than yourself!

I have been pondering his remarks the better part of the day. Part of me is in conflict with the idea that you can make someone else happy. After all, we are each in charge of our own happiness. No one can make you happy or mad without your permission. Certainly, external events trigger our emotional states, but each of us has the power to alter our state in an instant. That is what I believe to be true after my two year training in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). I am also not the kind of person who would delegate the responsibility of my own happiness to someone else. I would find that very dis-empowering.

So now I have a choice. How do I want to experience my 2013? What decisions, actions and attitudes do I want to carry forward into the brand new year?

• Do I dedicate my year to making other people happy? Or do I put more energy and focus on making myself happier (join my husband in investing in me, wonderful me!)
• Do I need another 14 measurable goals that will put me into that high achieving accomplishment mode? Will this make me successful and happy?
• Do I need to recite the Serenity Prayer and work on accepting the things that I cannot change? Perhaps I could theme 2013 The year of acceptance?
• God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
• The courage to change the things I can,
• And the wisdom to know the difference.
• Do I experiment with what radio host Mary Jones does with her monthly challenges, rather than new year?s resolutions? Model what she does so well for herself and her listeners? Who says you have to make it up all by yourself. Modeling excellence is in itself a form of excellence.
• Do I embrace the motivating words of Karen Lamb ? ?A year from now you may wish you had started today.? What should I start? Or perhaps the question is what should I finish?

People help make anything possible

As I prepare myself to enter into the year 2013, I will try to remember the importance of relationships in my life. People and connections have always been an incredible source of energy, encouragement, resource and motivation for me. No matter what struggles that I face, my network has been there for me. That network includes family, friends, business associates, neighbors, readers and even strangers (or friends that I haven?t yet met). That includes you. Thank you for being part of my network.

Your Networking Goal for the Week (first week of 2013)

Whatever theme, resolution or goal(s) you decide upon for 2013, make sure that you share it with the people in your network (personal and professional networks). Allow people to help you get where you want to go, even if it is the popular destination called happiness.

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Source: http://networkingahead.com/networking-how-to-make-someone-happy/

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