Networking. This term is one that I honestly had no real idea what it meant. I finally learned the true definition my last few months of high school. To me, networking is making personal connections and relationships with people all around the world.
Social networking is one of the greatest things that actually came out of social media. You can meet people all over just by one click. Some people have a hard time associating with others who aren't similar to them. This is breaking the #1 rule of networking — always communicate with people who are different than you.
Talk to your neighbor, smile at the person you walk by in the grocery store, say thank you to the person who holds the door open. Do not be afraid to communicate with other human beings on this planet. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We are all human, so stop acting like you are some sort of special or different person.
No one is better than anyone. Yea, I said it. No one is better than anyone.
While I go off on this tangent about communication, you might be wondering why this connects to networking. Well, your individual social skills are key to your networking skills. These characteristics can be strengthened by talking to strangers in public or going out of your comfort zone.
Being a good networker is (almost) always how you receive the things you are dreaming of. It can be hard to reach every goal by ourselves, and we need to communicate and ask others for information or help.
Be kind to everyone, because you will never know when that same person could be your neighbor or your boss. The people you bump into every day, or once a month, have a purpose.
While networking sounds too professional to you, and you might think networking is only for the big CEO of that companies... It is more than just that. Network your way through life. The more people you get to interact with the better. Learning from people is the greatest gift to be given.
Remember, you are no better than me and I am no better than you.
My dad always says, "You are not better than anyone. Nobody is better than you."
Let that sink in.
