How to Lose Friends and Influence Them to Disappear...

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by GordonJ

Tested and proven. Over the last few decades I've asked people; "What do you want?" and asking once might not annoy them, but again and again certainly does. But that isn't the question which gets people to disappear from my life.

It is repeating back their statement of woe and adding, "So what are you doing about it?"

Example. I lost my job, I'll be broke in a couple of months.

ME: "Oh, you lost your job and will be broke soon, what are doing about it?"

Other examples: I need to lose 20 pounds, then ME: " Oh you need to lose 20 pounds, "What are you doing about it? "

Hi Gordon,

Wow... People don't like confronting that question! (I sometimes don't either!) It can be "hard"... Sometimes you don't know the answer.

But, it forces you to look for an answer, or to do something.

Most of us have multiple little businesses we could start, to make money. Some will take a while before the money comes rolling in, but others can get the money rolling in almost instantly.

For me, it's a matter of thinking, what can I offer that people want, especially people who can afford to pay me.

(The cold hard truth is, there's little point offering a product or service to those who can't afford it. So if you want to offer a service and charge $100 per hour or more, for example, then you need to target people or businesses who can afford to pay you that. Secondly, you have to convince them that you're worth at least that. Even better, convince them that you're worth more, and that they're getting you at a rate that's a steal.)

I think a good broad goal in life is to increase the products and services you can offer, which people will pay for. I call these your "urban survival skills." If one source of income dries up, it's great if you have 3, 5, or even 10 more sources of income you can tap into.

That's one way (as long as your health holds up) you can guarantee you'll continue to do okay financially, no matter rain, sunshine, or snow (literally or metaphorically).

Best wishes,

Dien