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Give away lots of little gifts
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
It amazes me how many people don't pay attention to developing their relationships. Other people are extremely useful in life. Indeed, for me, I think they are probably my favourite thing in the whole world. A good connection with another can be the most wonderful thing you can have.
And it comes with all sorts of benefits. Friends can help you get what you want in all kinds of ways. They can tell you interesting stuff, do you favours, and offer support when it's needed.
So make a promise to yourself today that you're going to put more effort into developing your relationships.
And one of the best ways to do this is with small gifts. Little things that show you care are one of the major ways to convince people to like you and want to spend time with you.
I'm not talking about obvious things like chocolates and the like. Although they can be nice. But simple gifts that make people think life is worth living. It can be something as small as a smile and an acknowledgement that you care about their existence. Or a phone-call on a Sunday afternoon to say hello.
Tell people jokes you know they'll like. Help them complete the tasks that bother them. Give them a compliment when they're feeling down.
I've had a good quality microphone in my cupboard for about ten years that my father once gave to me. I don't sing or play in a band, so it pretty much just sat there gathering dust.
A friend of mine needed a microphone, so I just gave him mine. I didn't try to sell it to him or get something in return. I suppose I could have put it on eBay and made something from it, but his friendship is worth more to me than that.
He needed it, he's my friend, so I gave it to him.
I try to give away little gifts like that all the time. Indeed, I barely think about it anymore it's so much part of my personality.
And in return I have a huge network of friends all over the world who love me. They'll let me stay in their houses, give me moral support when I'm down, drive me to the airport and invite me out to interesting events. They make my life incredibly rich, and give me more options than I can possibly take them up on.
And they make me happy, just knowing they're there.
If you want to live a good life, you'd be well advised to get into the habit of also giving away lots of small gifts.
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