What’s in it for me? This is a common refrain of millions when asked for something. Too many have been programmed to believe that one hand washes the other or scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours, or tit for tat thinking.
It’s programming. It’s habitual thinking. And it will keep you poor or stuck in the middle-class.
When you have been raised with this mindset, you view the nature of relationships as an immediate exchange of favors.
As I’ve articulated many times, relationships are the currency of the wealthy. Those who succeed in life don’t see relationships as an immediate exchange. Instead, they see relationships as a long-term investment.
The rich build relationships with other success-minded individuals by investing in those relationships over many years. Their investment comes in the form of favors, giving freely of their time, expertise and sometimes money, without any strings attached.
The rich nurture each relationship like a farmer nurtures his plants. Eventually, one day, their investment bears fruit. It might be in the form of a business opportunity. It might be help in getting their child into a particular college, an internship or that first job interview with Google. Or it might be any number of things.
If you want to succeed in life, you must view each relationship as an investment. You must first give. The getting comes much later.
About Thomas C. Corley
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