This too kind of goes with the theme for the week. Funny how that usually happens - that each week carries a related theme in "my life." I say "my life" because my life is entirely entwined with my own needs and the needs of those I help or am in contact with.
The other day a dear friend told me I could do the work myself to figure out what fears were holding me back from moving forward and changing my income outlook. I knew I could but I also knew how long that would take and how much it would take out of me. I preferred to talk with God and Archangel Michael about it and get their help. I do a lot of the self-work myself but some things I've been working on for awhile and still struggling with. I'm not afraid to ask for help when I need or desire it. I happen to find no redeeming value in my life from doing things the hard way when there are easier or better ways. Now, that's not what she was suggesting. She was speaking more to my abilities than to what I "should" do. (Remember my views on the word "should." It might as well have 4 letters in my dictionary because it fits with all those other words I try never to utter out of common decorum.) That very night I asked God and Archangel Michael for help, figuring I'd get the answers in my dreams. But I also journaled before bed and came up with part of the answer. Sure enough, my dreams entirely pointed out the rest to me. And I dealt with what came up, again requesting a little help with it, the next day. After that the ideas, solutions, and confidence started a slow flow that picked up to a river within days. It's been free flowing ever since! It was so worth asking for the help.
This theme came up with her again today. This time she was saying she knows she can give herself the encouragement and courage she needs to face a situation coming up but what she wants is a face-to-face with someone in particular. She wants that specific person because she feels he's just the right person to give her the exact support she needs. She knows exactly what she needs and where to get it. I confirmed the validity of seeking that, and reminded her of the scenario in the last paragraph, how I took "the easy way out" and made it all so much easier on myself.
Women are especially good at networking, but so are certain men. The best networkers make the most of every opportunity to lightly connect (or more deeply when motivated) with the people they meet and make the most of those connections. They ask questions and truly listen to what each person has to offer. They also have a way of preserving that information for future reference, usually getting and filing contact information. Then they "pick the brains" of those who know what they want to know. A deeper level of this is what my friend is doing, using her friend as her "go-to" for what she needs in her life at the moment. I did a blog on needs not that long ago, and didn't even cover this kind of thing. We all have need of each other in one form or another. Networking is one of the ultimate uses of people for our needs. Now, I keep using the word "use" but you aren't traditionally "using" someone in this way. For example, last night I "used" my daughter for words of encouragement on project ideas I wanted support for. I wanted to hear that they were good ideas (which I thought I knew), that I could make them (which I also felt to be true), and I hoped for a level of excitement on her part to further mine. I got exactly what I wanted, and I praised her for helping me, as she so often does. This in turn helps her self-esteem in two ways - one, she got a fairly brief, free opportunity to help someone she deeply loves, and she also got praise for it and herself as a valuable person. Networking isn't really about using people, because good networkers give back too. Instead, it's responsible utilization. And truly, giving people (and most networkers and those who connect with them are) love to share their knowledge and talk about their interests. All the business guru types who tell you how to succeed tell you to pick the brains of the best - that's networking.
I said women are especially good at it. Most women have a wide group of friends and know who to turn to for what they need. In most cases, there is not one "be all, end all" person. If a woman wants to talk about female problems she usually has a specific friend who shares her woes. The same goes for sex, mate, or being mateless, problems with other friends, specific kinds of advice or subjects of interest. Seems like every other month a women's magazine has an article on it, in fact. This way we never wear out our welcome with any one woman or overtax a friendship, have a pool of knowledge and caring around us. A pool of caring is very important. I have certain friends I can turn to for advice, some for rides, some for other types of help. I was very depressed last Friday (concerned about lack of money, lack of job, and seeming not to more forward to get out of this hole). I thought about calling someone for a pep talk to help me out of the depression, and reviewed my options in my mind. I identified two people who would be able to help but decided I wasn't up to calling anyone. I decided that at the point I was at, it wouldn't do much good and I'd just be a "downer," something I don't like to do. If the depression had lingered, I would have turned to someone for help. Instead, I chose to try and meditate, and ask the angels for help. I'm not sure what happened with that other than I got a good nap in and felt much better upon awakening. Later one of the two I'd thought of (my above mentioned friend) called me. I told her I'd almost called earlier and why, what I did instead. Turns out she felt my need (she's extremely gifted that way) and sent me positive energy during my nap. She reaffirmed my need for rest and is the one that pointed out that my blockage on moving forward with my goals had to do with unresolved fears, as mentioned above. So, I ended up taking the best course of action by not calling, resting instead. But my spirit communicated my need to hers and she helped me then and after my rest. By that time I was able to fully participate and benefit from the talk.
A final word about being all you can be from yesterday, and on networking. To be most effective in these things you have to "think outside of the box." To me, there are no boxes other than cardboard to put things in to move them out, or those handy things cats love to play in!
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