In recent times, one of the things I’ve learned is the importance of relationships and networking and I think they go hand in hand and at the same time, they may not. And that’s what I’ll be talking to you about in this week’s letter.
First off, what is networking and what is friendship?
Networking is the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional contacts. In simpler words it’s meeting and forming relationships with people that could be of professional (mostly work wise) help to you. And friendship is simply the state of being friends.
From tweets to random rants or people giving their thoughts on things, I’ve realized that people have become a little too caught up in the chase of making it, having money and all these things that they seem to have forgotten the importance and necessity of basic relationships. Whether we accept and admit it or not, no matter how much of a hard worker you are, there would be days you would need someone. And it definitely wouldn’t be a work colleague you’d need but a friend.
People have gotten obsessed with the mindset of having relationships based on what the other person seemingly has to offer that they forget that sometimes you just need someone you can talk to comfortably. Someone who would know you in ways a business partner wouldn’t necessarily know.
And here’s my honest opinion on this; it’s an unhealthy mindset. Don’t get me wrong or misunderstood, networking is important but if you form relationships with people who like you for whatever reason simply because of what you can gain from them as a “friend”, then you aren’t a friend. You simply are a selfish person that uses people for your own benefits and in such cases, what you’re doing isn’t networking because you weren’t even straightforward with them on what you wanted your relationship to be.
Make friends, network, but don’t do it in a way that could make one hurt. And be sure you don’t go into relationships with people (no matter the kind of relationship) with that sort of mindset.
I hope you’ve been able to gain something from today’s letter.
Sending you love through your week.
