One of the things I did when my cousin asked me to be Godparent to her unborn baby was to do as much research as I could about babies and children. Having a baby brother was one thing, having a baby Goddaughter was quite another. I felt the best way to be a good Godmother was to be a good resource for both her and parents – spiritually, mentally, personally, financially and by engaging my network.

In my Human Resources work and in my personal life I encounter many people who are “connected”. These are persons who have extensive networks, great friends and are well travelled – all the things that should enable them to be good resources for other people within their network. For some reason they don’t function that way. Their think tanks, networks nor talents are being utilized to do good for anyone other than themselves. What good is a large network of people if they are just adding to their “Connection #500+ count on LinkedIn”?

People who are not resource-full don’t realize they really hurt themselves in the long run. They tend to remain stagnant and as a result, they don’t progress much in their professional or personal standing. Funny thing is, a lot of them can’t figure out why others who are resource-full are so much happier and so much farther ahead than they are. Those persons who freely share their contacts and gifts, who are not afraid to step out of their comfort zones and who are willing to lend their name or their reputation to give someone a leg up have the advantage of a network of people watching out for them. The reason why is pretty simple, it’s because they watch out for other people! When opportunities open up, they are the people others think of first because they have supportive spirits. A closed fist lets nothing out – and it lets nothing in.

My advice? Do a self check to see if you are being as “resource- full” as you can be. If you give your word to do a favor or watch out for someone don’t just pay lip service.   Make that call to inquire about an opportunity for a friend. Pass along that resume to the contact you have association with that can open the door of opportunity for someone else. Take that person along to the meeting or conference to get firsthand experience or to introduce them to someone who could be a resource for them. If you’re not sure how much you are leveraging your resources for others ask someone whose opinion you trust – and don’t bite them if they don’t give you the answer you want! You may have it in your power to be a catalyst to help someone else become something he/she could only dream of.

During times of transition, I’ve used my time to study and develop relationships to become the best resource I can be. I hope I’ve been an encourager to others in my professional and personal network. Hopefully, my Goddaughter and others in her generation will find resource-full people as they venture into new and wonderful phases of their lives. I hope she in turn will develop her skills, network and alliances to be the best resource she can be for others around her. It’s a wonderful cycle of giving that should not only benefit us, it’s a cycle that should encourage and promote others as well.

Lesson learned.