“Do you know that there’s still a chance for you. Cause there’s a spark in you. You just gotta ignite the light. And let it shine. Just own the night. Like the Fourth of July. Cause baby you’re a firework. Come on show ’em what you’re worth” – Lyrics from Katy Perry’s Firework.
I love this song for so many reasons. When I hear it I feel inspired. Lea Michele did any amazing version of it in a recent episode of Glee.
I kind of feel like I could stop writing the post here. If I said listen to the song and read the lyrics, that might be enough. It’s powerful. But since this is my blog and you have taken the time to read it, I will try to add a little more value.
Over the last few years I have been discussing how people can use social media/networking for business. In almost every conversation people ask about the magic formula. People want me to tell them exactly how to develop relationships and how they can get rich. Sure, I can show them how to use the various online tools that are out there (you know, the ones that might be here today, gone tomorrow?), but what I really want to show them is how to be a firework. I want to show them how they can standout in a crowd; how they can tap into that place inside of them and discover what makes that unique.
As I observe the people who are the most successful in developing business relationships, one common factor I see is that they know that they have a spark and they use it to do good. They tap into their inner selves to help others. They understand that they make a difference in the world and leverage this knowledge to form relationships that lead to real business. There is no formula for this and what fuels every person is different. The commonality is discovering the spark and using it to “ignite the light.”
So if you are traveling down the path of relationship building, your first step is to know who you, to identify YOUR spark. Of course, forming relationships with the right people can help you to further identify what it is that makes you special and how you can use your specialness to make a difference. I know that I am constantly learning about who I am based on feedback from my friends. I take this feedback and use it to better myself and my relationships.
So I ask, did you know that you had an inner spark? How are you using it to “ignite the light?”