The Summer of Giving began with nervous anticipation…so many choice,where do I start? Yesterday, I created a very long list of ideas of how I could “give†via my business using the internet – low or no cost. As much as I was excited to begin venturing online again, I was surprised at my trepidation. How hard could it be to spend time giving? I set aside 2 hours today but ended up taking spurts of time throughout the day after completing my 2 hours…I lost track of time because it was so damn fun!
Liked and liked and liked.
I started on Facebook by liking and commenting on posts published by fellow business owners. I followed links to their blogs and commented on their blogs or added their blogs to my list. It felt great! The best part of my giving time was when it led to real conversation. I reconnected with a Facebook friend I hadn’t chatted with in a long time. She posted a note on my wall after I liked her business oriented post. We started a conversation on my Facebook wall that led to exchanging phone numbers in a private message and a promise to touch base over the phone about our respective businesses. I plan on calling her tomorrow.
Silent Affirmation
It felt great to give positive feedback to other business owners – whether they said so or not, I know how important it is to receive affirmation from your peers. Re-establishing contact with valuable friends and colleagues was amazing – too often home based business ownership can be isolating. Hearing about how I had been missed was a great feeling. Although my intention was to spread goodwill to others, I ended up gaining the most.
Thank you Susan for sharing your Summer of Giving. Great idea. This week I had 3 separate experiences of people having Summers of Taking, powered by bad karma, and so I’m finding your approach very refreshing and inspiring right now! Keep up the good work! Doug Bruhnke @ Growth Nation (Scottsdale, AZ)