Wednesday, December 17, 2008

OPEN Your Eyes...think. I know it hurts...


"An Eye and Mind Opener" for us all to Consider.


 

A 'cyber-friend' wrote to me in an email and she said:

Hi Johan,
I want to share a story with you today that really touched my heart... And I think
it'll really open your eyes to what success in this industry [Internet On-Line Marketing] is really all about building relations and in turn, help you to evolve into a much more powerful entrepreneur.

You see, in the world of online marketing,where there is a big focus on lead generation,sales, and generating profits... It can be easy to forget something very important.

It can be easy to forget that you're dealing with REAL PEOPLE. People with real feelings, emotions, people with different personalities, different ways of relating to the world, and different reasons for starting a home business.

And deep down, all of these people are looking to be understood... They are looking for people they can relate to and feel connected to. When someone feels like they are aligned with who you are and that you actually CARE about their success, they are so much more likely to partner up with you.

This industry is all about RELATIONSHIPS. And when interacting with business partners,customers, and clients, your focus should be all on them. Take the time to figure out how you can be of service to them, how you can help them, and how you can better their lives in some way.

In order to do this, you must first put yourself in their shoes. This is called EMPATHY. Empathy is the ability to recognize or understand another person's state of mind, feeling, or emotion. And this is where the real 'bond' in relationships happens.

The story I want to share with you is a true story about empathy... So take a few moments, sit down, relax, and enjoy... :)

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Up in the Himalayan Mountains, there once lived a Japanese Sage... He was someone who had dedicated his life to enlightenment,so he lived alone up on a mountain top and meditated all day long. Occasionally, he would come down from the mountain into the valley to gather food and visit his relatives.

One day, while down in the valley, his sister came up to him completely distraught. She was full of anger, anxiety, and sadness over her teenage boy.
Her adolescent son was a big trouble maker. He was getting in trouble at school, lashing out at his family, and engaging in self-destructive behavior.
No one in the family could get through to him and he was causing the whole family to suffer.

The Sage was asked by his sister to come visit the boy and talk to him. Since he was known for his 'enlightened consciousness' and compassion, she figured he was the only one who could help. So the Sage agreed and came to live with his sister for a while. He ate dinner with
them, helped with the household chores, and did just about everything BUT talk to the young boy.

He ended up staying there for two weeks just observing the dynamics of the household. After two whole weeks, his sister started to get angry.

"Why haven't you had a talk with my son yet?", she asked. The Sage simply told her that there was nothing to say.The boy was also very confused. He knew that his Uncle was asked to come visit to have some sort of talk with him about his behavior.

The Sage decided it was time to go, so he went back into his room to get his shoes. As he was sitting on the edge of his bed tying his shoelaces, the boy came and sat down in front of him.
The boy stared at his Uncle for a few moments waiting for some kind of response. The Sage looked up from tying his shoes with tears streaming down his face.

He just looked into the boys eyes with love, not saying a word. The emotion was so intense, that the boy started crying, too. The Sage cried for his nephew. He cried because he felt the pain the young boy was going through. He physically felt the feelings of being so lost, so disconnected from oneself, and feeling so unloved. The boy wasn't misbehaving just to be malicious. He was acting out because he was in pain. No one else in the family understood this. They all saw him as a nuisance, as someone who was causing THEM pain and suffering. They could not see past their own self-centeredness.

They never stopped to empathize with where he was coming from... And this lack of  understanding just made everything worse. Staring speechlessly into the teary eyes of his Uncle, the boy felt understood for the first time in his life. He knew the Sage wasn't crying because of his bad behavior... He was empathizing with his own suffering. For a moment, they both felt the same pain. From that point on, the boy changed. He had been running from his own pain and acting out because he was avoiding it.

His Uncle inspired him and helped him actually 'feel' the hurt that was inside. The unconditional love and compassion that he felt from the  Sage changed his life. The Sage not only helped the boy more than anyone thought possible, but he also helped the rest of the family.

He taught them what true empathy really is...


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You don't need to be a Sage to practice empathy for others. We, as human beings, have such a
deep capacity for love and compassion... I think most of us just forget it's there sometimes.
I hope this story opened your heart a little today
Johan.

When you have empathy and understanding  for those in your life, your relationships will
blossom. I don't know about you, but I'm really looking to create a paradigm shift in the business world.
A shift away from selfishness and greed, and a movement towards true empathy, compassion,
and comradery.

We can do so much good for the world when we stop thinking so much about ourselves,
and start putting ourselves in the shoes of those we serve.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this email today. Let me know what you thought
by hitting the reply button and emailing me back if you like.

Have a beautiful day today and enjoy yourself Johan. There's so much to enjoy!

Love and Light,
Katie Freiling

"When you see yourself in the eyes
of another, you will know the meaning
of understanding."



http://www.Twitter.com/katiefreiling


 

Katie Freiling. Thank you my Friend. I will publish this to hopefully reach out to many more . Bless Johan