Networking Nugget

Last night, I went to a networking event where the topic was actually better networking. The event was cross-sponsored by a number of area communications & advertising associations.

I pulled two good nuggets I thought I'd share:

Act/look like the host at any networking event. It's good advice. Hosts generally interact with everyone, introduce people, catch-up with those they know, get to know those they don't. These are also the basic goals of good networking.

Typical of association events, this one had the business card fish bowl with your chance to win something -- I forget what. After the first speaker they gave everyone one last chance to deposit their card and then announced that in addition the prize, five lucky winners would have a few minutes to tell the group who they were and what they did. Not necessarily a good idea at every event, but a bonus at a networking event where the goal is find and meet new people.

Focus on What Matters

I came into work this morning and a co-worker asked how my weekend was. I said it was good.
As we continued talking about our weekends, I realized that it really wasn't good at all. In fact, with the exception of one fantastic event, the weekend was really quite horrible.

We had to cancel plans to go down the beach and stay with good friends for the weekend-despite the wonderful weather.

After we canceled those plans I learned that an uncle whom I loved and respected passed away. We attended his wake on Saturday night.

After an illness, we finally made the painful decision to put a beloved pet to sleep on Saturday morning. We saw an opportunity in all this sadness to introduce our young daughter to the concept of death in, what we hope, was a healthy way. While we hope the result was good, the process -- for us anyway -- was difficult.

But in between all this death and misery we helped my only brother bring home his first child from the hospital. My little one became a cousin; my wife and I became an aunt and uncle for the first time.

So when my coworker asked how my weekend was, without even realizing it, I focused on what matters. Our pet will be sorely missed; she lived a long life and brought us great joy, but it was time for her to go. The same can be said for uncle, who was one of the most generous men I knew. Generous with what truly mattered: His time, his wisdom; his help. He was full of life right till the end, but then it was time. We would have been overjoyed with the birth of his great niece and saddened if we let his passing overshadow it. He knew how to focus on what matters.

London

I was trying hard not to join the millions of bloggers expressing thoughts, feelings, insights into what happened yesterday in London. Partly because my feelings about 9/11 are so strong, but also because I was distracted.

What could distract me...The birth of my first niece.

What I realized this morning as I skimmed a few blogs about London was that my family's small miracle yesterday far out weighed the tragedy in London, for us anyway. Selfish bastards? No not all; the very reason these terrorists will never win. We (the collective civilized WE) value human life above all else and our way of life second to that.