Gravity
This is one of those philosophical lessons, about karma. About how you reap what you sow.
If you're kind, helpful and honest, and you surround yourself with people like that too, you'll attract good situations and relationships into your life.
When I was in my twenties, the cousin of a college buddy asked me to help fix a mail server for one of his clients. I said sure, I could take a look, but no promises.
I solved the problem in an hour, and he asked how much he owed me. I told him not to be silly, but if he ever had something bigger, he should come to me.
Ten years went by, and then the phone rang:
Hey Marcin, you once said that if I ever had something bigger, I should come to you.
I'd long forgotten I ever said that. That one sentence let me earn several hundred thousand złoty (at least $50,000) working with a fast-growing startup.
Good business
I'm a big believer in being brutally honest when selling used stuff. I don't want anyone to feel cheated or let down. If there's any problem with the item, I give the money back right away and wish them all the best. Want to live in a better world? Start with yourself. Shape your reality.
At the end of the year I fill out Year Compass to look back on the year that's ending and get ready for the new one. It has questions like:
- Who helped you succeed?
- Who helped you overcome challenges?
- Which 3 people had the biggest influence on you?
- Which 3 people did you have the biggest influence on?
It's worth thinking about, because an overnight success often takes 1,000 nights and is rarely the work of one person.
You won't build a business on your own through hard work alone. Good business rests on good relationships, creating value, and being honest and authentic.