Can you distill your entire business philosophy into just three words?
I’ve come to realize mine is, “Do unto others.”
And I’ve been noticing how several of my colleagues and friends embody this principle.
1. This is my friend Geoff Livingston at the opening night of Exposed DC’s new exhibit in the Crystal City, Va., Fotowalk:
You probably know of Geoff as an early adopter and extremely brilliant marketing mind.
But what you probably don’t know about him is that he is a remarkable photographer as well (that’s one of his photos).
Geoff is one of just 12 DC-area photographers to be featured in this year-long exhibit (go see it!). Is that cool or what?!
(Btw, can you tell that I’m *not* a professional photographer? ;))
And what really struck me about Geoff, as I went to celebrate this incredible honor with him, is how openly and freely he gives of his time to the communities he believes in.
It doesn’t matter whether or not they reciprocate (though they usually do).
Geoff does unto others as he would have them do unto him… without expectation.
2. This past Saturday, I was privileged to be invited to the opening night of Flying V’s “It’s The Rest of The World That Looks So Small,” a really incredible theatrical production, with original music by Jonathan Coulton (yes, “Code Monkey” is in it!).
Jason Schlafstein, the company’s producing artistic director, has been inviting me to shows for years.
And I finally got my derrière to one. And I had a BLAST.
(It’s really an amazing show, and the tix are ridic cheap. So if you’re in the DC area, you should go).
Now, Jason didn’t keep inviting me to shows because he wanted me to blog about them, or put him in my emails.
He kept inviting me because he and I had a strong connection over theater when we first met through some volunteer work I do, and because he could sense how much I was starting to to miss it.
Jason does unto others because the spirit moves him.
3. I confess: I did not watch the Super Bowl this past weekend.
Football + Shonali do not a heavenly match make.
I did, however, watch the half-time show (hey, I liked it!).
And I thought how Justin Timberlake took an impromptu selfie with #SelfieKid was just so sweet.
JT changed that kid’s life forever.
Never mind how mean the Interwebz started to be, because really, why #SelfieKid was on his phone before/after is really no one else’s business. And yes, his 15 mins of fame are already starting to fade, and who knows how his life will turn out.
But he will ALWAYS have that moment to hold onto, and remember.
JT did unto #SelfieKid because he could.
Social PR, Social Karma
The longer I work in this crazy, wild, wonderful world of Social PR, the more I become convinced of the need to keep Social Karma at the core of all we do.
This is a fundamental principle of my “Social PR Virtuoso®Master Course,” my “Social PR Pioneer” monthly continuity program, and my 1-1 coaching program that gives you access to all of the above and then some (including dedicated time with me you can’t get anywhere else).
Which, btw, is going gangbusters (yay!). If you’ve been meaning to check it out but haven’t yet, I highly recommend you book your completely free discovery call here before the rates go up.
Because I TRULY believe that when we give of ourselves in service, because we simply… can, withOUT looking for what we can get in return …
… it is then that the Universe rewards us in ways we could never have dreamed of.
Do unto others. It feels remarkable.
So if you haven’t tried it yet, I’d love for you to give it a go.
And then tell me how it turns out.
I really loved the social karma aspect of this article. There are so many studies and stories that show the power of doing good for others and how it has so many benefits for your life and the lives of others. It’s very similar to throwing the stone in the pond and watching the ripple effect. Your one action or good deed for someone else can expand and touch others and pretty soon you’ve impacted a whole community. It sounds very much to me like what you’ve done, Shonali, with your incredible Social PR groups. :)
What a kind comment, Kelly – thank you! You know, I’ve always felt this way – “do unto others” – but it’s really become my reason for being over the last few years… I can’t explain it, it just comes from somewhere within! Hopefully that doesn’t sound too new-agey… :)
Thank you for your kind words. It’s hard to do as much with a kid, but your words are very appreciated.
I meant every single one of them, my friend. :)