The 7 Series Part 2: Commtentment and Other Endearing Terms

No…that’s not a typo. 

It’s a mash-up of community and communications and content (and other stuff), one of the themes that will flow through 2017. I’ll define it for you soon…read on, please!

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the meaning of the number 7 and gratitudes for the coming year.  Because I’m something of an writing geek,  I’ve also been ruminating on the 7 words that will  be important to me in the year ahead. Although only one of them (#7) seems directly related to my business life, I believe that they will all ultimately lead to prosperity in all things.

1. Empathy. I realized in 2016 that I still have some work to do on this one. My years working in the unempathic world of financial services and corporate coldness definitely left some scar tissue.  I am determined to find my inner hippie chick again in the coming year.
2. Giving. Giving ones time, experience, support, kindness, mentorship, and wisdom all definitely come back without our keeping a “chart of accounts” in our heads and hearts. Karma will ultimately catch up with the serial takers. In the meantime, I’m limiting my inner circle to those who seem to really need and value my time and soul and don’t judge or offer advice without it being requested. Adam Grant is among my business heroes.
3. Humor. Laughter is good for your health and stress level. I try to keep things in perspective and I’m remembering to smile more often.
4. Forgiveness. We all f-up. I’ve committed some doozies of mistakes this year. If we really care about someone and know he has a good soul, we need to “let it go.” Here’s why.
5. Fearlessness. That’s never really been a problem for me. But I’m making some huge changes…moving out of New York and restoring my factory settings. As we age, making change can be more difficult. I’m determined to jump off more cliffs (not literally, however).
6. Faith. Patience is tough for me and I’ve been told that I am, at times, a bit of a control freak. The dictionary definition of faith is “the firm belief in something for which there is no proof.” Entrepreneurship has its ups and downs, but if you have vision and persistence (which didn’t make the short list, although I love those words) you can survive the tough times and emerge stronger and richer and wiser. If you are into spirituality you can read my post about my “day with Joel.”
7. Commtentment. Although I’ve been working for lots of years, I’m finally making a living doing all the things I loved to do from an early age — writing (content and communications) and building communities. (I was always the kid who got along with people from different social circles, introduced people to each other, and planned themed parties.) Those skills are now valuable in the digital world, and I’m applying my childhood passions and talents to creating, connecting, sustaining, and growing online communities for the purposes of commerce (another “c”). In 2016 I launched (and relaunched) sheBOOM with a team of collaborative and creative volunteers, creating a powerful work community. Within a few short weeks, we had more than 6,000 “fans” and a Finalist designation for the prestigious “Killer Content Award.” Without the first 6 things, we wouldn’t have gotten there.

What about technology? It’s simply an enabler. It’s only useful if a human soul is behind it. It can make us smarter, connect us with random strangers who change our destinies, and inspire us to see our own lives from different angles and in different lights.

Speaking of lights, may yours shine bright this holiday season. Wishing you all good words for 2017!