The facebook Metaphor

Facebook and Twitter are big deals right now, perhaps indicative  of how fractured and isolated that many of us feel about our connections.

But I want to introduce an idea here: That Facebook can represent  a really ideal model for how one can accumulate and enmesh themselves with other people with whom we might share values or even share arguments. But it is the connection that is important.

My friend Mac Lee, said in the heat of some spirited debate a year or two ago this very profound thing: "My daddy taught me never to trust anybody who didn't have any old friends!" and the truth of that is just so apparent to me. It makes a huge difference when you know someone has a friendship roster behind them, it makes them infinitely more trustworthy!

Two of my really close friends here in Tyler are consummate friend makers, who can go back 40 something years and talk to people they have connected with throughout their lives, and maintained those connections. It sometimes makes it hard to play golf with them, since they get calls all the time! But those connections are such an incredible storehouse of help, advice and interest that it is hard to overestimate that importance. Think about the people who you trust and admire!

And my point is that the skills necessary to accumulate friends are those skills that help almost every person in their lives and professions, no matter what that profession happens to be. Being able to listen and interact with another. Saying please and thank you, often. Remembering names and times and things of interest to that other person. Being willing to talk about their grandchildren when yours are much better looking!

My prescription here would be this: This is not a race, and having a million facebook friends isn't a great thing, in itself. But all of us deep down, realize that we want to create meaningful lives, and that involves other people, no matter how you look at it. Learn facebook skills, and then start applying those things to how you live and run your business. Create a friend any chance you , it will surprise you how much easier it is to do business with friends. And your life will be so much richer!