Tuesday, June 15, 2010

It Pays To Know People

From the title of this blog, you probably think I'm going to talk about how much money you can make networking. Well, it's true that the more people you know, the more people will know about you and your product and services. And that will improve your odds of making more money. However, this blog is about the true value of networking - the people themselves.

During the past 4 weeks, as I search for a new career path, I have been confronted with many realities of life, a few of which are: 1) Health insurance is not affordable, 2) you will get sick the minute you don't have health insurance, and 3) when life gives you lemons, you had better learn to make some damn good lemonade!

Within days of being without health insurance, I came down with a recurring case of microplasmia, which is like bronchitis, and is common in people who've once had pneumonia. Couldn't afford the doctor visit or the meds, but I could afford a call to my sister, the herbologist. She told me to infuse 1 tablespoon of dried thyme in hot water, then drink the liquid, three times a day. Oh, my! That concoction was the worst thing I've ever tasted! I did my best, but that remedy only lasted a day.

Then I spoke to a natural healer whose daughter attended the massage school I managed. She suggested a crushed clove of garlic, gulped down with a cup of milk, twice a day for 3-5 days. I did that and the cough left, but I still felt tired. Back to my sister, who confirmed that equal parts cold green tea, with ginseng and ginger (I prefer Arizona Iced Tea Green Tea) and orange juice should do the trick. She said to drink as much as i could. So I drank it down (much better tasting than the thyme). And voila - all better!

One caveat - if I had continued to feel sick, the cough had worsened, or if I'd developed a fever, it would have been prudent to seek more advice (and perhaps from an MD or DO). But the fact remains that I am better because of the people I know, and who know me. And we've helped each other - one as a sibling our whole lives, and the other whose daughter I helped through some very  difficult times, and who helped at our school when we needed great instructors.

So, when you wonder what you are gaining from the people in your network, remember it's about the people, and that must remain the most important part of having a network. The payment you will receive will be in direct proportion to what you spend of yourself on others.

Peace,

Shelly

1 comment:

What are the Odds? said...

Hi Shelly-

Thank you for posting this blog article. Glad that you found a network of people that was able to help you with information to treat the health condition that you were suffering from. As solo entreprenuers, coaches and service professionals health insurance is big issues and it is very costly. Thank you for sharing your experience and the importance of having a connection of friends and contacts to go to for assistance. Hope you feeling better.