Generating corporate profits, magnetize your audience, monetize your clients, maximize your sales leads, draw people to your web site, write compelling blogs on and on it goes – a never ending stream of how to take full advantage of your clients. And it is all focused on making money – A money first me first approach as far as I can see.
Now, I am not a fool, I understand money and the need to earn funds in order to pay our way. Yet putting money and self first at the cost of others is what I see going on in North America, my province, and my city. The same me first phenomenon is easily seen in rush hour traffic and the crazy lane changers; that same energy is dividing our communities over the homeless issues. The distain homeless people are viewed with. It is clear this me first approach is divisive.
As a culture we have gotten very selfish and the more digital we get (unconscious), the more information we stimulate ourselves with (fear), the more we center on ourselves at the exclusion of others. The information age, it seems, is turning into the age of me first and we don’t have to look very far abroad to see it in action – Trump’s Make America Great Again is a total me first campaign.
I took a homeless person into a local restaurant the other day for a bowl of soup. “I am happy to serve you sir but your friend will have to leave.” was the comment. So we both left and I won’t go to that restaurant any longer. The them and us concept, another way of saying me first, is very much alive and well.
“It doesn’t matter what you say you believe – it only matters what you do.”
What has happened to the age-old concept of generosity and service; of putting others first; of taking good care of each other AND our self; of being a great neighbor?
“Selfless service, or Seva in Sanskrit, is a service that is performed without any expectation of result or award for performing it. Such services can be performed to benefit other human beings or society.” The Times of India
Here are some simple people first practices you can take on that may just counter balance the money first agenda.
- Instead of walking right past a street person asking for money stop and ask them their name and then introduce yourself. You don’t need to offer money – just offer the decency of connecting.
- When you are out shopping and before you pay the retail clerk for the goods exchange names, make it personal before you do your business.
- Once in a while at your favorite coffee or teashop leave a few bucks at the till to pay for the next persons coffee and ask the barista to keep your gift confidential.
- Put your recycling out the night before and let the homeless recyclers take care of your refundable bottles.
- Carry an extra piece of fruit with you when you are out and about and offer it to a person who is asking for money.
So give one or all of these people first techniques a try and see how they work for you. Would love to hear stories of your people first efforts too so feel free to post they to my page!
Warmly and with gratitude
Stephen
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