I’ve been reading a book named Brilliant Networking – to look at it from the outside, I’d have probably dismissed it – It is a bright flouresent orange with text on it – Not nice for the eyes however this is the worst part.

I’m starting to understand that networking not as in IT but in relationship with people is a lot bigger than first thought. I thought it was about basically trying to sell your business to others, and partially that is still true but its a very small part of the whole idea.

Its more a “help one another get the help needed” and build friendships, and through the friendships a way to talk openly on what your wanting, and what you can do. Sometimes its not what you can do directly but maybe introduce someone else to one another. An example, in the book was a dating site where the matchmaker gets the info from two people and then introduces them to one another and stepping back.

In my sense of it all, it is not necessarily something that you get from it, but people usually do remember those that helped them and refer others to them… another saying “Give lots, Get lots” but sometimes nothing comes from it.

Many ideas which I think I should have realised such as replying in forums, or newsletters or making better use of my blog and twitter. All things I knew, yet have let pass me by before now.

Anyhow, I’m working through the book and enjoying it. Took it to my trip to london, its been suprising how easy it is to find time to read, especially in tranport areas – waiting for things or travelling on them – sitting or standing back and reading. I thought it would be difficult to read with all the moving but seems easy enough and really does pass the time.

I’ve been finding a lot of my old diary notes of many years ago – Some from school times, others from uni and realise a lot has changed in Life, although I look back and see that I never really had any particular target in life, I expected that You grow, you get a job, then a wife, and then a family and the circle is complete.

Well, thats not really happened in life. I’ve got the Job part down, but thats been there for around 8 years now and no other to call wife, or partner even so no chance of family.

I look back and have found that I’ve not had an ambition more than to one day run my own business – This year that started. Then, when I thought of this, I didn’t know what I wanted to do a business in – just to run one and hopefully help people in a way that could help me keep doing it.

I found my old “Year book for 1995 school leavers” and read through it. I found my entry for “Fantastic Fact” – I put down I was a Christian, and still when I look back I wonder how I was so bold to put it down. Initially when I put it down I was told I couldn’t have that as its embarassing and the people that took them to be made up scribbled it out. I got around it as was helping to type them up into the computer and added and saved it then. I’m still pleased that I chose too – it felt right then and still 15+ years on it still feels right as it is a part of whom I am.

In life, I seemed to take an approach of What can I do well, I’ll keep doing that. In Education, I could use a computer well at school whereas most other subjects I didn’t do well at so I went into computers – how to build, how to make programs for them, and fix issues people had in them. I’ve always just stuck to it. Finished school, did a BTEC in IT at college, and a degree in IT at Uni and now work in it… but I’m not sure its what I always want to do.

I’ve spoken to a lot of people recently and discovered that many of them, have followed much the same plan as me but in different subjects. Now they work in something totally unrelated but love the work they do. It got me thinking – why have I limited myself to one job category when I could work anywhere.

I can recall a time where I wanted to “Save the environment” or “save animals” with projects working with GreenPeace or RSPCA… Nowadays its more, send a little of my money to them or promoting recycling through work and home. I don’t seem to have the same passion that helped me along before and I am in search to refind it.

I do enjoy work most of the time, but think there is change due… be that in my business taking off and allowing me to work just the one job or moving somewhere else and starting afresh. There are lots of things I could apply my knowledge too that I have from my educations and the friendships I’ve made over the time.

I am starting to realise through work that “no” doesn’t always mean “No” but often means “I don’t understand what your asking, can you ask me another way?” – This I think is to do with the networking things I’ve been researching to do with my business.

When I was a lot younger (in school) I was told I had an active imagination – this helped me through a lot of things, be it problem solving by seeing the multiple posabilities or just dreaming into another place to get through time. I use my imagination a lot now, and can often have lucid dreaming which can allow you to do whatever your imagination allows you too.

I am seeing that I have many opertunities in life now, since my trip away to london. Strange that it took me being somewhere totally different to see that where I am I can do so much. I’ve been afraid to try some things, a lack of confidence of “what if” rejections but if I never try it then I am just rejecting myself automatically so I will try and see how it goes – Only better can it be, as if not done I was rejected anyhow.