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Anne-Maria Yritys
Category: Online Strategy
How To Market Your Business Online?
When marketing your business online/on social media, it does pay off to do your homework before engaging in/wasting your precious effort and time on useless activities. PLANNING before execution, as many digital/online marketing strategists would say. Unless, of course, you enjoy spending a lot of effort and time online just for the sake of commenting, engaging, sharing and learning. After all, we do learn best from our failures and mistakes, but actually taking the time to research how digital/online marketing actually works may save you from a lot of head ache and wasted time.
If your digital marketing efforts are not yielding any results or wants to improve its results, ask yourself the following questions:
- What is your business doing online?
- What is your business selling?
- Where is your business offering its services?
- How can your business best reach its customers online?
- Which digital/social media channels does your business need to be present on to achieve optimal results?
- Who/what could help your business achieve its digital/online results, and improve these?
- How does your business measure its social media ROI?
- How will your business target its segment/s and find/be found by its (potential) customers online?
- What can your business learn from its mistakes?
- How can your business benchmark, i.e. learn from other businesses/share experiences?
If you found this post helpful, please share it with your social media networks. Please comment related to the topic in general, or share your ideas, experiences and thoughts.
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Access some of my previous posts here:
How to Differentiate Your Brand Online?
How To Market Your Business on Twitter
How To Protect Your Brand Online?
How to Brand Your Business Online?
TWITTER BRANDING & MARKETING 2018: Learn How To Brand & Market Your Business on Twitter Inc.
How to Create Your Online Business in Five Easy Steps
How to Drive More Traffic to Your Website
====================================================================
Make sure not to miss this opportunity!
If you personally are/your business is on social media, you simply cannot afford not being present on Twitter Inc., which has been among the top 10 most visited websites for years already. In fact, there is not one business in the world that could not benefit from being on social media!
In Twitter Branding & Marketing 2018 you will learn how to become a Twitter Power-User, including the many benefits of your business being on Twitter. Don´t miss the opportunity to download my FREE OF CHARGE, step-by-step guide to becoming a Twitter Power-User! Make sure to share my personal Twitter tips with friends, family & your networks too. Yours sincerely, Anne-Maria Yritys
Simply click on the following link to access and to download Twitter Branding & Marketing 2018:
Twitter Branding & Marketing 2018
Connect with me on Twitter @annemariayritys. For climate/environment-related posts only @GCCThinkActTank. Subscribe to Leading With Passion to receive my latest posts.
Take a step further to create YOUR online business. Learn more about the many benefits of how to create a beautiful website with WordPress.com and how to monetize your blog/website:
WordPress.com – Create A Beautiful Website
Jetpack – The ideal way to experience WordPress – Code-free Customization
WooCommerce – The most customizable eCommerce platform for building your online business
How To Market Your Business on Twitter
Why should you be marketing your business on Twitter? Why should you be marketing your business at all? If you are lucky enough to run a business without having to spend any time or money on any kind of marketing efforts, for instance if you already have a permanent, reliable clientele, make sure to hold on to the good customers and clients you already have! It takes a lot more time and effort to acquire new, good clients than serving those you already have very well. After all, that is what we all want (to provide): Reliable, excellent quality service to customers that hopefully love to spend their money and time on our products and services. Therefore, make sure to hold on to your best customers!
Word-of-mouth marketing works extremely well even in the digital world that we live in. In fact, word-of-mouth marketing may have become more important than ever as the word spreads fast online. Make it your number one rule when building your online brand presence to make a good lasting impression on your (potential) clients. Make reputation management an essential part of your online marketing strategy.
Although Twitter Inc. currently has less users worldwide than for instance Facebook, Twitter Inc. with its hundreds of millions of active users has for years already been among the top 10 most visited websites. No other social network except for Twitter allows for your business to connect so freely and openly with businesses and people from around the world. Furthermore, Twitter Inc. distinguishes itself by the fact that everything you post on the social media platform is public, unless you for some reason have decided to protect your Tweets to be seen by your followers only.
As a part of your business marketing strategy, your business must be present on Twitter. There is no other social media platform comparable with Twitter, which allows for your Tweets to be found and indexed by search engines. Furthermore, anything you post on other social media platforms, such as Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and WordPress, can be automatically shared to your Twitter feed, saving you tons of effort and time since you do not have to re-post everything manually.
Moreover, there are several social media software companies, including Social Jukebox, that allow for you to automate your marketing by either sharing already available content or creating and sharing your own content. Which, in turn, allows for you to build and use backlinks to drive more traffic to your website. Learn more by reading my free-of-charge publication Twitter Branding & Marketing 2018 and by connecting with me on Twitter @annemariayritys.
Make sure to share this post on your social media networks and press the subscribe button. Thank you.
Access some of my previous posts here:
TWITTER BRANDING & MARKETING 2018: Learn How To Brand & Market Your Business on Twitter Inc.
How to Create Your Online Business in Five Easy Steps
How to Drive More Traffic to Your Website
====================================================================
Make sure not to miss this opportunity!
If you personally are/your business is on social media, you simply cannot afford not being present on Twitter Inc., which has been among the top 10 most visited websites for years already. In fact, there is not one business in the world that could not benefit from being on social media!
In Twitter Branding & Marketing 2018 you will learn how to become a Twitter Power-User, including the many benefits of your business being on Twitter. Don´t miss the opportunity to download my FREE OF CHARGE, step-by-step guide to becoming a Twitter Power-User! Make sure to share my personal Twitter tips with friends, family & your networks too. Yours sincerely, Anne-Maria Yritys
Simply click on the following link to access and to download Twitter Branding & Marketing 2018:
Twitter Branding & Marketing 2018
Connect with me on Twitter @annemariayritys. For climate/environment-related posts only @GCCThinkActTank. Subscribe to Leading With Passion to receive my latest posts.
Take a step further to create YOUR online business. Learn more about the many benefits of how to create a beautiful website with WordPress.com and how to monetize your blog/website:
WordPress.com – Create A Beautiful Website
Jetpack – The ideal way to experience WordPress – Code-free Customization
WooCommerce – The most customizable eCommerce platform for building your online business
How to Drive More Traffic to Your Website
Why are you online, on social media? To “socialize” with friends and family? Or, to make new friends? If you are an entrepreneur and a business-owner, your main reason for being present on social media is for your business to be found online, right? And, not only to be found, but to be found for the right reasons, and by the right people! In order to be found for the right reasons and by the right people online, your online presence must focus upon the right activities. Here are a few tips for being found online, and to drive more traffic to your website:
- Create a website. For many business owners, your website will be the number 1. place where you interact with your online customers. Unless, of course, you are trading directly on some other platform, such as Amazon. Nevertheless, a business website is a great way of letting your customers know what your business is doing, and what kinds of goods/services it is offering.
- Create quality content. What is quality content? Quality content can be defined as content that not only satisfies your website visitors/potential customers, but that is also helpful to them. The worldwide web is today a huge marketplace: customers love brands and businesses that make a difference by educating, helping, and inspiring their customers. Not only is quality content essential, but also the capability of…
- Driving (the right kind of) traffic to your website. Marketing is at the core of any business´ success. You can have the best content in the world, but if no one finds your business, you will soon be out of business!
So, how can you drive more traffic to your website? First of all, ask yourself these questions: WHY do you want more traffic to my website? WHAT are you offering to your (potential) clients? HOW will you do this? WHERE is the traffic coming from? HOW do you drive the traffic to your website?
WHY do you want more traffic to your website? Well, very few bloggers/business owners live from traffic only! Nevertheless, creating your website on WordPress, which is one of the most visited and used websites by businesses worldwide, is simple. You can do it for free, or choose between different, affordable plans. With a professional or business plan on WordPress, you can apply for WordPress WordAds which lets you monetize your website easily. WordAds is an ad program managed 100% by WordPress, which lets you focus upon what is essential instead of finding advertisers by yourself. However, if you are a leading expert in a specific field, you may have advertisers/sponsors that are willing to work with you directly.
WHAT are you offering to your website visitors and (potential) clients? What makes you special, and stand out from others? Very often, your idea does not have to be, or will not even be, much different from competitors. You just have to be YOU: unique, and focusing upon your expertise. With the information overload on the Internet today, the better you can differentiate, the more likely you are going to succeed with your online business. Remember: not everyone is your customer. Make sure to focus upon what is essential, and try to find your segment, and your market. There is plenty of market out there: billions of people use the Internet every day. What and to whom are you offering that makes a difference? Focus upon your strengths, and your expertise.
HOW do you drive traffic to your website, and what is the main source of your traffic? There are many ways of driving traffic to your website. Learn how to use these, or, hire someone to help you with it. You can use a number of social media channels and integrate these into your website on WordPress, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Google+. If you are a Vlogger, make sure to integrate your videos to your WordPress website, and then also share them on other social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. For instance Twitter is a great way of driving traffic to your website through link-building. Other ways include Google AdWords and PPC marketing: just make sure to learn the techniques, or find a professional who knows how to optimize your web traffic through paid search engine marketing!
FINALLY: Affiliate marketing, or relationship marketing. If an when you have the necessary contacts or the courage to find the necessary contacts, you can benefit from relationship marketing: the best way to succeed is most often helping others to succeed! Online relationship marketing can be done for instance by co-operating with professionals who have common/shared interests with your business (goals). Cooperating with others, for instance through guest-blogging and sharing other professionals´ content in an equal give-and-take relationship, you can build an (online) business based upon relationships. For many (small) entrepreneurs, this is definitely the most efficient way, especially if and when you are outgoing and a people-oriented person. If not, why not try affiliate marketing? This is something you can do both as an extrovert, and an introvert. You can benefit from affiliate marketing by either promoting your own products, or the products/services of others (in case you do not yet have your own products).
Thank you for reading and sharing this post, especially if you found it helpful. Looking forward to your comments. Also, learn more by reading my previous posts related to this topic:
How to Create Your Online Business in Five Easy Steps
TWITTER BRANDING & MARKETING 2018: Learn How To Brand & Market Your Business on Twitter Inc.
======================================================================
Make sure not to miss this opportunity!
If you personally are/your business is on social media, you simply cannot afford not being present on Twitter Inc., which has been among the top 10 most visited websites for years already. In fact, there is not one business in the world that could not benefit from being on social media!
In Twitter Branding & Marketing 2018 you will learn how to become a Twitter Power-User, including the many benefits of your business being on Twitter. Don´t miss the opportunity to download my FREE OF CHARGE, step-by-step guide to becoming a Twitter Power-User! Make sure to share my personal Twitter tips with friends, family & your networks too. Yours sincerely, Anne-Maria Yritys
Simply click on the following link to access and to download Twitter Branding & Marketing 2018:
Twitter Branding & Marketing 2018
Connect with me on Twitter @annemariayritys. For climate/environment-related posts only @GCCThinkActTank. Subscribe to Leading With Passion to receive my latest posts.
Take a step further to create YOUR online business. Learn more about the many benefits of how to create a beautiful website with WordPress.com and how to monetize your blog/website:
WordPress.com – Create A Beautiful Website
Jetpack – The ideal way to experience WordPress – Code-free Customization
WooCommerce – The most customizable eCommerce platform for building your online business
Online Navigation and Creating an Online Strategy
“Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time”.
(George Bernard Shaw)
As an avid user of online services and of certain social media sites I have learned a few things about online navigation.
I have written a few times about how to save precious time and energy, and how not to get stuck within the online world. Believe me, I am writing from experience, and learning from it, every single day.
Let´s get straight to the point, just to save your time and energy:
Create yourself/your brand/your firm a clear social media/online strategy. This includes at least a definition and response to the following questions:
– Who am I representing? Am I representing myself? How am I representing myself? As an entrepreneur, or as an employee? Or am I representing a brand/company/startup?
– What am I representing? Am I representing myself, and my services? Or am I representing someone else´s service/s and/or product/s?
– Which social media sites will I use, and why? It is very important to choose the correct media in order to save time and money. You won´t want to waste time, money, or energy on sites that are useless to you. One option is of course to create your own social media platform, and as I have noticed, new social media platforms are being created every day, in almost every single corner of the world.
– How much time/effort am I willing to spend for these social media sites? How much time can I afford to spend online?
– Do I need to do everything on my own, or will I hire someone (a social media company or an entrepreneur) to do it for me/for my company?
– What is my target market/customer segment? Why?
– What is the best way to approach the target segment/the target customer?
– What are my core competencies? How do I differentiate myself/my firm from others?
– How do I measure the efficiency of my/my company´s online presence? Do I/the company need to invest time/money in some other kind of advertising, or is digital presence enough?
This is an insight into the online world, where new jobs, trends, sites, and markets are constantly emerging. It can be somewhat overwhelming, which is another reason for organizing yourself online, defining the amount of time you are willing to spend online, and the most important: being selective regarding your online presence.
“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results”.
(Winston Churchill)
What Do You Want to Achieve?
“All personal achievement starts in the mind of the individual. Your personal achievement starts in your mind. The first step is to know exactly what your problem, goal or desire is”.
(W. Clement Stone)
Do you know what you want in life? Have you ever taken the time to consider what the purpose of your life is? Do you wake up in the mornings feeling empowered by life itself, by your everyday life, or do you merely, somehow, process yourself through another day without knowing the actual purpose of what you are doing?
If you are at all like me, you have taken the time to reflect upon your life, at least every now and then. In truth, we all reach a point at some stage in our life, where we start questioning ourselves certain things. This may happen several times during our lives, and to be quite honest, it is a sign of spiritual growth if we are capable of questioning ourselves, our actions, and to develop as individuals.
Very often real achievement requires long-term goals, persistence, and the capability of continuous efforts without giving up at any stage. It is a matter of being able to focus on the final outcome, and there may be many obstacles and failures on the way to achieving your goal.
Many people prefer to go with the flow, which probably is the easiest way to “get through life” – because, in the end, no one escapes from life alive. This is something worth keeping in mind e.g. when facing your fears. Life is not a gamble, but those who are never willing to risk anything, are neither capable of winning anything.
“You never know beforehand what people are capable of, you have to wait, give it time, it’s time that rules, time is our gambling partner on the other side of the table and it holds all the cards of the deck in its hand, we have to guess the winning cards of life, our lives.”
(José Saramago, Blindness)
Referring to J. Saramago´s quote, you will never know what you are capable of achieving unless you try. I have a deaf-blind cousin who is an excellent chess player, and he has also cycled throughout half Finland on a tandem bicycle together with his personal assistant. No one needs to be perfect in order to be capable of achieving wonderful things in life.
Achievement always starts with personal motivation, setting long-term (and short-term) goals, and a willingness to work towards reaching those goals. The road may sometimes be bumpy, even difficult, depending upon the complexity of the actual goal, but the more purposeful the achievement is to us, the harder and longer are we willing to work towards the final outcome.
Sometimes we may lose the appetite, especially with obstacles coming our way. In these situations, it is important to take a break, to question our actions, perhaps the actions of others as well, perhaps consulting someone with similar (or more) experiences, to get a mentor and/or a coach who you can trust to help you on your way.
“Part of the issue of achievement is to be able to set realistic goals, which is one of the hardest things to do because you don’t always know exactly where you’re going, and you shouldn’t”.
(George Lucas)
How Do You Know where Your Limits are?
Have you ever thought that it does not matter if you try, since one person cannot make a difference in society (or in anything)? At some stage in our life we probably all do, hesitating, and wondering if continuing with our efforts is worthwhile. Admit it. The difference here, in becoming really successful, is to believe, and never to give up on our dreams, whatever comes our way, and no matter how big the obstacles sometimes may seem. After all, frictions and hardships usually are a sign of us doing something correct.
“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them”.
(Bruce Lee)
Do you know where your limits are? Have you ever challenged yourself into pushing those limits further? Do you have any limits at all? Or do you always give up, listening to that voice inside your head whispering “oh no, don´t do it – you´ll never make it anyway, it is not worth giving a try”.
The next time you have an inner or outer conflict – try to calm down, be objective, and analyze where that feeling comes from. Yes, feeling.
We have only one sense, the sense of feeling. All other senses are different forms of the same sense: to see, hear, touch, smell or taste IS to feel. Therefore, all senses lead to feeling.
Our basic feelings are:
-Complacency/pleasure
-Fear
-Anger
-Disgust
-Sorrow
-Astonishment
(Kymäläinen, M. University of Tampere. 9.9.2014).
It is all right to have different kinds of feelings, and the easiest way of coping with them is to accept them as a part of our everyday lives. How we handle our feelings is another thing, and it does make a difference whether we focus more on the positive, or the negative ones.
As the old Cherokee legend where a grandfather teaches his grandson an important life lesson says:
“The grandfather explains to the young boy about the battle we all have going on inside of us.
Grandfather: “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ that live inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: ‘Which wolf wins?’
The old Cherokee replied simply, “The one you feed.”
I found an interesting article about this in The Huffington Post (Andrea Wachter: “Which Wolf are You Feeding?” Quoted 10.9.2014). You may want to read it.
Every single day I get inspired by many different people, acquaintances, friends, or complete strangers.
Planning my first official half marathon, I have been reading articles and sites about running, and came across a site about ultra runners. Ultra runs are all runs that are longer than a marathon (42,195 km), the shortest of which is 30 miles (48,280 km). The longest ultra runs can be thousands of kilometers and last for several months.
A Norwegian ultra runner, Mensen Ernst (1795-1843), earned his living by running across the world from one city to another, sometimes betting about the time, and other times delivering letters. He was a celebrity known as the “King of Running”.
His first long run was 116 km, from London to Portsmouth, in nine hours, where after he became even more famous by running 240 km from London to Liverpool in 32 hours. He became such a well-known runner that even kings paid to just in order to see him running. In 1832, he ran from Paris to Moscow, 2.500 km in 14 days, running 178 km per day.
What is the lesson behind this story?
That we all should become ultra runners?
Of course not.
This story, along with the story about the two wolves, is just to remind us about how we can make a difference in our own lives, and even in whole societies, with the right attitude and by being passionate about what we do.
What is your dream? What are you passionate about?
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the start to change the world”.
(Harriet Tubman)
What Makes Someone Successful?
People sometimes ask me about the secret behind my success. Me? Successful? Wow, thank you for your confidence. I bet we all have admirers, people who respect and value what we do, and some people who would like to be like us. Many of us love inspirational quotes, sayings that have a positive impact upon our thoughts. Here are some of my favorite quotes about success:
“Success comes to those who dedicate everything to their passion in life. To be successful, it is also very important to be humble and never let fame or money travel to your head”.
(A.R. Rahman)
“Success is not a destination, but the road that you’re on. Being successful means that you’re working hard and walking your walk every day. You can only live your dream by working hard towards it. That’s living your dream”.
(Marlon Wayans)
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will”.
(Vince Lombardi)
Further on, Elite Daily has listed 10 traits of extremely successful people (as follows):
– Successful people work very hard
– Successful people are very curious, and always eager to learn
– Successful people network
– Successful people always work on themselves
– Successful people are extraordinarily creative
– Successful people are self-reliant and take responsibility
– Successful people are relaxed and keep their perspective
– Successful people live in the present moment
– Successful people respond instantly
– Successful people never quit
(EliteDaily.com. The 10 Traits of Extremely Successful People. Quoted 8.9.2014).
From my perspective, success is ALWAYS a personal experience. When you focus on your own thing, and doing what feels right to you, you will feel a whole lot more successful than following in someone else´s footsteps. Believe me, find your life purpose, and follow your passion, and you will feel successful.
Why is it so important to listen to your inner guidance?
When you listen to your inner voice, intuition, instead of focusing on external issues in order to just have a lot of “bling, bling” in your life, you will feel grateful instead of empty.
There is no one single recipe for success, but here is some further advice:
– Always have a goal in mind, but also remember to enjoy the journey on the path of your life destiny.
– Stay true to yourself, but always respect (and listen to) others.
– Be prepared for failures as well, since they are a part of your success. Success is often 99 % perspiration and 1 % inspiration.
– When you study other successful people, try to see behind the facade. We often do not realize how much effort these people have put into becoming so successful. Success does not come over night, although it sometimes may seem so.
Many blessings to you on your successful life journey.
“For a successful entrepreneur it can mean extreme wealth. But with extreme wealth comes extreme responsibility. And the responsibility for me is to invest in creating new businesses, create jobs, employ people, and to put money aside to tackle issues where we can make a difference”.
(Richard Branson)
Slow Down and Breathe
The old saying “Rome was not built in one day” actually means that all things take time to create, and great things like the city of Rome take a very long time. Therefore, we should not expect to accomplish something or achieve success immediately. Having patience is extremely important.
Is time man-made?
Some arguments about time:
– Time is the ongoing sequence of events taking place, including the past, present and future.
– Time is measured using seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries, and light years.
– From the age of Newton up until Einstein, time was considered to be absolute and to flow equably. In his special theory of relativity, Einstein postulated the constancy and finiteness of the speed of light, showing that there is a requirement for distances to appear compressed and time intervals appear lengthened. (andersoninstitute.com. Definition of Time. Quoted 13.8.2014).
– The concept of time, including daytime and nighttime, has always existed.
– Time is made up of motion and distance, both of which are illusions since the physical world is not real.
– Time in terms of a clock itself is not only unreal, but unhealthy. Natural time (tide moving in and out, the wax and wane of the moon, sunrise and set, etc.) is normal, but cannot actually be made to fit a clock anyway.
What do you think about these arguments/definitions?
The next time you feel irritated or under pressure due to time-related matters, ask yourself how significant the issue is in terms of years, decades, centuries, or even light years. Also think about, and get familiar with, how time is being valued in cultures other than your own.
Admitted – there are many situations in life and work places that require immediate attention, and fast reaction (at least in the Western World). For example, think about acute emergencies, crisis situations, catastrophes, where fast and professional procedure in managing the situation is of out most importance.
A few years ago I read a book called “In Praise of Slowness – Challenging the Cult of Speed”, written by Carl Honoré. (http://www.carlhonore.com/books/in-praise-of-slowness/)
The book is about the world being stuck in fast-forward, and about the rise of a Slow Movement.
Description of the Slow Movement by C. Honoré:
“The Slow Movement is a cultural revolution against the notion that faster is always better. The Slow philosophy is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace. It’s about seeking to do everything at the right speed. Savoring the hours and minutes rather than just counting them. Doing everything as well as possible, instead of as fast as possible. It’s about quality over quantity in everything from work to food to parenting”.
According to the philosophy, we need a Slow Movement because ever since everything has been getting faster, we now seem to be addicted to speed, where each moment of the day is like a race against the clock. Many of us live in a road runner culture which has gone so far that it is visible in what should be the most important asset of our personal lives: our HEALTH.
Signs of accelerated speed:
– Courses in Speed Yoga and Speed Meditation are available these days.
– Many of us are trying to hurry up relationships by connecting with as many people as possible, and forgetting about the quality while focusing on quantity.
– Speed Dating, where singles spend three minutes with a high number of other singles choosing who could be a suitable romantic partner.
– Constant busyness: it is culturally accepted and seen as a positive sign that you are busy.
Symptoms of living too fast:
– Constant tiredness.
– Feeling like a robot accomplishing tasks and just getting through things on your To-Do list without really being engaged in what you do.
– Feeling of racing through your life instead of living it.
– Getting frustrated and annoyed if things do not happen instantly or in the way/at the speed you want them to happen.
(carlhonore.com. Quoted 13.8.2014).
If you recognize these signs and symptoms in your life:
Some benefits of slowing down:
– Positive physiological reactions
– Increased productivity.
– You start seeing the wood for the trees (instead of living like a robot, you will find what is purposeful and what is not so important).
– Quality becomes more important than quantity.
– The term “life in years” becomes more important. Living a life filled with meaningfulness and joy is important.
– Instead of seeking merely external pleasures, it is possible to find internal peace.
– You radiating internal peace and well-being will have positive influence on everything.
“When you slow down, step back a moment and put things in perspective,
you can then move on with more efficiency.”
(Doc Childre)
Why is The Balance Between Giving and Taking so Important?
What are the proportions of giving and taking in your life?
Take some time to reflect upon each and one of your relationships, do some notes if necessary, and think about the results. What do you see?
Are you predominantly a giver? Or a taker?
Don’t worry if you are out of balance in giving and taking – there are ways of correcting the situation. Focus on what is purposeful, listen to your intuition, and first then decide, whether continuing the giving is the right thing to do (this means, if you are in a situation where you are constantly giving without getting anything in return).
As in Chinese philosophy, giving and taking need to be in balance in order to create harmony.
We need to value oppositions and contrary forces, since:
– There is no light without darkness
– There is no high without any low
– There is no hot without any cold
– There is no masculinity without femininity
– There is no ying without the yang
– There is no ebb without any flood
However, we also need to be aware of the fact that the world is not only black and white, but a colorful place with as many perspectives upon life as there are people. More than seven billion people on Earth, and there is no one exactly identical to you. We are all unique; something worth thinking about the next time you might not be feeling happy about yourself.
As a giver, as you probably are if you are reading this, just think about what a wonderful quality it is. Giving, and being a giver, has been proven to increase the level of satisfaction in a person’s life. Think about a situation where you have helped someone out, or given them something without asking for anything in return. How did that make you feel?
Being a giver is extremely good for your health, and for building successful relationships. Through giving and being generous, you can win people’s hearts.
It is also important to keep in mind the limits for your giving, and who you are giving to:
– What is the purpose of your giving?
– Is this particular giving worthwhile?
– Do(es) this person/these persons/community deserve your continuous giving?
– Do you receive anything in return for your sacrifices?
– If you give in a relationship, but never receive anything in return, could you by chance redirect your energy towards something more lucrative?
Giving is more important than taking, but in order to live a perfectly balanced life you, as a giver, must be open to receiving as well.
“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier”.
(Mother Teresa)
The following video by Give and Take- author Adam Grant gives us further insight into what it means to be a giver in a long-term perspective:
Anne-Maria Yritys 
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