"If You Expect Nothing from Somebody You Are Never Disappointed."

For Years I Have Lived by This Credo.

We all know that life is not easy. Whether it is relationships, work or business we all have ups and downs. Why add more difficulty to something that is already hard? Learn to not expect anything from others. Trust me it is one of the most freeing acts you can do in your life.

Often people will tell me what they will do, how they will do it and they will truly be excited about it. In the end the majority of this talks ends up being just that, talk. Instead of investing my mental energy into their ideas or dreams I wait and see if they will take action. I know I always bring up, "The Pareto's Principle" but the law never fails me.

Then there are times when money is involved. I used to believe in letting people borrow money and then I would go collect which often leads to lost friendships. Now I would rather just give someone the money and not expect anything in return. It really does take the pressure off and guarantees that the relationship will not suffer.

How to Avoid Having Issues with People.

Today instead of asking for favors I always make sure there is something that will motivate the other party. For example I pay my team well and they know that if they don't deliver I will find someone else. We don't build relationships with them outside of business. They have a good motivator and if they want to keep it they will continue to perform.

In relationships I stopped asking for help a long time ago. For example have you ever asked a friend to help you move? I know I have and I helped many others move as well. Now instead of asking I would rather hire a third party because I learned that friends were not very reliable unless there was pizza and beer involved.

"When Asking for Help Appeal to People's Self-Interest Never To Their Mercy or Gratitude"

Everyone knows we have quite a large audience on social media. Almost everyday I get the inevitable message from people asking for a Tweet, a like or an upvote. This does not bother me that much because I understand human nature. People only care about what is in it for them.

When I ask for something I always offer something in order to sweeten the deal. For example, I ask a friend to Retweet me. Instead of just asking for the Retweet I will ask them if there is anything they need shared across social media. It does not matter if you have a small audience or a large audience the difference is that you are offering something that is in the self-interest of the other party. This changes the whole dynamic.

People Will Not Avoid You if They Know There is Something in it for Them!

Think about it for a moment. Imagine how much your life will improve if you applied this today. The days of being disappointed in others will vanish. Stop expecting things from other people. Offer something first and see how life improves.