Who can say for certain that what you did last week or do today can have far-reaching effects... a "pay it forward" so to speak....
Umpteen years ago, I joined the "old" CTP and through the guise of contests, we formed a solid "team" of 25.. and a league of site owners and members.. fast forward... the "new" CTP cut our teams to 10, just the solid core of people we networked with and yet it stretched beyond just our team. We networked with other owners and learned how to cooperate and make thing better. Yes, we were competition for each other, but we were also friends and we learned how to work together to improve our businesses, no matter what obstacles were thrown in our path.... and things got better....
Early December 2019, just seven short weeks ago, I learned just what that networking really meant. On a Monday, I took a fall on broken pavement, shook it off and for a week, I walked on a cracked femur. Five days later, the femur had had enough and broke the rest of the way... in the kitchen at 1 a.m. Since I live alone, I always carry my cell so I called my neighbor who just happened to be up... She came over and sat with me while we waited for the ambulance.
I had rescued this little cat, and she crawled on my chest while we waited, doing her best to heal my pain with her raucous purring.... She had no clue that it would require surgery, nor did I... but I was so glad of her comfort at that point....
Two days later, sitting with great pain in a hospital bed and getting some of the best "joy juice" I have ever had, I reconnected with the internet and fellow owners. They all stepped up to cover my sites, get the XMLs up (sadly, those were on my computer at home and not on my laptop), and let me know that they were there for ME!
They took on MY work in addition to theirs without complaint or recompense... THIS is what networking and entrepreneurship is all about... We work with each other.. As we win, we all win...
So ten days in the hospital and a month in rehab, I am still on a walker and I am still so amazed and so grateful to all those who stepped in to help... they did not HAVE to help... they WANTED to help...
As the John Donne said in 1624 Meditation 17 Devotions upon Emergent Occasions
'No man is an iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee....'
These owners and admins CHOSE to help another in distress... Is this not why we were all put on this planet?
If a newbie comes to you with a question, will you try to answer and help that person? Or will you say this is not my problem!
Who has helped you in your journey so far? Have you reached out a hand to help another? If not, why not?