if you want it, say it out loud

I read somewhere once that if you want something, you should tell people.  I've never took this to mean that you should yammer on about a new pair of Louboutins to everyone you know in hopes that they'll all pitch in and buy them for you, but, rather, that if you have a goal or a dream you should discuss it with your friends, family, and colleagues as much as is tolerable.  I, and many people I know, are on the edge of great new things. As I stand at a precipice I can't help but look around me and think that this is true.

I am typing today on a new-to-me laptop that I was able to purchase from a friend at a steal because I had told other friends about how much I needed a new computer and how much my old one was holding me back.  (Photo editing took hours and running more than one program was burdensome to that old beast.)  The friend who sold it to me was happy to get rid of it because he had recently upgraded and just needed to put a little cash back in his pocket to ease the blow.  I now have a computer that I couldn't have afforded for several months if I had just kept my mouth shut and wished in darkness. I'm editing photos on a stylus and tablet that I purchased just one week ago, again, for a steal from a friend.  He needed to get rid of one that he got a t yard sale and I needed it to finish up a project that we were working on together.  Tell me how that scenario isn't sunny-side-up for everyone!

I took a listen to Seth Godin's podcast a couple of weeks ago, and this phrase hit me on the forehead like a ton of bricks: "Today's economy is about making connections."  Whoa.  Simple, but so true.  This hits particularly close to home because, as a vintage seller, I feel like I am so frequently rescuing garments from sure and certain death.  My job isn't to sell a million of an item.  One rarely fiends replicas in this business.  It's to connect an almost one-of-a-kind thing to the lady who didn't know she couldn't live without it.  Americans live in a glut of things.  We just need to push them around from people who don't need them to people who do.

But this doesn't only apply to things.  We're living in a freelance economy.  It's true.  I heard it on NPR just this morning ;)  Your connections and opportunities all come from people who you know and love.  They've got your back. If you've got an idea for a project that you really believe in, plant seeds with your peers.  They may not be able to hire you, but they can strengthen your ideas and your resolve, giving you more power to take that brilliant plan to the marketplace. 

This has gone in so many directions:  stuff, gigs, confidence to get gigs, connections.  Long story short: if you have a goal, tell people.  Lean on your friends for encouragement.  Those people want to help you, and if given the chance, they will.  All you have to do is return the favor.