Technology is great. It's allowing us to do more things faster and is taking (some) cost attrition out of them. Social networs are helping more people encounter more people and opportunities than they ever thought possible.
We also know they can be distracting, and a time suck.
Who hasn't spent a whole two hours following links and reading about other people's fabulous exploits and exotic places? It feels great.
And the brain cannot tell the difference between real and imagined...
... which is goodness when we can harness that capability to visualize, dream, and be expansive. It is not so helpful when we confuse the proxy of reading advice with having done and doing the work.
Are you super connected?
Or do you just lull yourself in the illusion of being that way?
Do you have actual, real relationships based on doing things for each other with kindness and generosity? Or do you take for granted that thousands, hundreds, or even dozens of people are just waiting for you to make a request to jump at it?
Do you view all your social accounts as bank accounts you open and just start withdrawing money from without putting any in? Or do you actually view them as opportunities to be human and in conversation? Here's an example of how to write an email that stands out. To this day, a rare occurrence.
People want to help. We're social, it's encoded in our DNA. Busy people are the happiest helping others because they know more than anyone else how it works -- things don't happen in a vaccuum. Collaborating and supporting each other with real things is the best way to go about it.
If brands can be for Meaningful Actions, so can people.
DO the "work" in network.
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PS: I love you. Using this sentiment as your inspiration is a good rule of thumb to get it right.
A note on email. It feels like a conversation, its discontinuous nature makes it more like a letter. Tone is extremely hard to convey through one, especially if you don't have a relationship with the person with whom you are corresponding.
Take care of each word lest it comes across as a shot you didn't intend to take (i.e., defensive and scarcity-mindset driven).
Think like a quantum physicist -- it's possibility until your thinking precipitates it as rejection.
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I cannot believe there are no other good examples of email etiquette. When were you last impressed by a note? Have examples of or advice for successful email connections? Do share.