I collect people.

Not dissimilarly to the way others value things, I value the connections I create with others. I do this by meeting and speaking with as many people as my schedule will allow. I started this process out of FOMO: fear of missing out on a potential opportunity. But as I achieved more, it became a way to give back as well, to meet with those looking for a leg up or a bit of guidance. Now, it has become a way of life, a way for me to absorb the cultural zeitgeist while continually giving back.

A couple of years ago, I realized that my habit, my obsession with making connections, had created a positive energy loop, a compounding cycle that enhances and amplifies my pursuits. Every meeting I have, every time I connect with someone or help someone on their journey, somewhere down the line that energy returns in a positive form. While this wasn’t my conscious intention, it now happens every day, simply and beautifully. I begin work on a project and, surreptitiously, the connection that’s perfect for that collaboration appears, as if by magic. It blows my mind every time. Usually, it’s someone with whom I connected years, months, or weeks before; sometimes it’s with the friend of a connection and, on occasion, I’m the one doing the reaching out; but, more often than not, it just happens. The more I feed the energy loop, the more it feeds me.

The energy you share with the world builds on itself, both positively and negatively, like compounding interest. The more positive connections you make and actions you take, the more positive energy you have saved up. When you need it, the energy is there for you, just like money in the bank. The most amazing part of this process is that because the energy is compounding, eventually it feeds itself. Once you have shared a certain level of positive energy and goodwill, it will build exponentially and take you on a ride you never would have imagined possible.

The same rule applies to our work. Very often, individuals and organizations work hard and spend a lot of resources on projects yet for some reason, the project doesn’t succeed. While the result isn’t the desired outcome, the energy expended on that project isn’t lost. Just like the connections we discussed a moment ago, the positive or negative energy put into your pursuits goes directly into your energetic bank account. As with money you deposit, you’re able to withdraw the skills, connections, lessons learned, and knowledge gained from these experiences. The more you try, the more you persist, the more you work, the more likely you will ignite your positive energy loop and eventually, achieve the unbelievable.