June 28, 2015

The Go-Giver is this great book I just finished by Bob Burg and John David Mann that told a story about this business idea.  So many times we try to run a business or some part in our lives the wrong way and we don’t look at the whole picture.  This post can fit into so many different parts of what this blog is about, whether be a business idea or a life changing idea.

The main focus in the book dealt with what they called the Law’s of Stratospheric Success, and what these laws consisted of were laid out into five parts.

• The Law of Value:  your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
• The Law of Compensation:  your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
• The Law of Influence:  your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.
• The Law of Authenticity:  the most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
• The Law of Receptivity:  the key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

Now clearly by reading the title of the book, it has the word “giver” right there and that is what idea is surrounding these laws.  Whatever idea and creative thought you have, the main focus of the venture needs to be helping people, helping the people around you.  That is what makes a great business and that is what makes a person feel great and that is a great way to live, by reaching out to the people around them.

Most businesses have one goal and one goal only, and that is to make money.  Now of course that is important but that can’t be what drives you, you are going to fail every time.  The only Law that seems like giving isn’t a part of it is the Law of Receptivity.  But if you think about it, being open to receive something is giving that person, the “giver,” satisfaction in helping you.  I know that I struggle with taking gifts, I just don’t like doing it and I feel obligated to get them something, but once I stop and think about it like this it really does make sense.

One last thing that really stuck out was this, the three universal reasons for working.  Survive–meet your basic living needs.  Save–to go beyond your basic needs and expand your life.  And serve–make a contribution to the world around you.  That last one is my favorite, serve, serve and help the people around you, at work, at school, wherever and it will give you more joy then you can imagine.