Interesting collaboration opportunity

Today I had another meeting with another member of my networking group. He's a really nice guy. I feel as though I can trust him. He's had a struggle to get to where he is now and I think he appreciates seeing someone like me who is currently searching for something.

The idea of these meetings is to get to know each other outside of the scheduled weekly meetings and take the opportunity to teach the other person about your business. That way they understand who you are, what you do and most importantly, what type of customers you are after. I do the same for them. So if you're a printer, I'll always think of you when someone says they're out of business cards, or need some letterheads done. He does the same for me if he sees someone struggling with their computer.

Anyhow, so today it was his turn to learn about my business, so he came by the office and we had a chat for about two hours. We discussed all sorts of things about my business. And I asked him a few questions on how I would do certain things. He seemed to like some of my ideas, and every time I've spoken to him about things, he always says very little, except what he says always makes me feel I can do anything. What little he says motivates me.

Then I mentioned something I wanted to do for a while, which has been to organise a morning or evening meeting, catering for about 20-30 people and they have to all be in local small business. I want to hold a night where I get up and talk about the value of computers in business. Basically, educate people on what they need to know to make better IT choices if they don't want to hire someone like me.

So, then he says "You know what? That would be perfect, lets say one and a half to two hours long. You talk for 45 minutes, then there's a 10 minute break, someone else talks for 45 minutes about something else, but still in relation to business. Perhaps the importance of printed media" (as you may have guessed, this person I met with today is a printer). "Then maybe we can get someone else like a small boutique recruitment consultant we both know to talk about how to employ the right people."

He had yet another brilliant idea. So maybe this November I will be getting a little dressed up and doing a talk in front of 20-30 small business operators about the importance of computers.

Luckily I have no issues talking in front of people. Heck, I've performed at the age of 6 at the Sydney Opera House. I don't think this will bother me one bit. A bit like when my friend played at the open mic night a few weeks back. His wife asked me when I got off the stage, "Weren't you scared or nervous at all?" Nope! I replied. It's as easy as drinking a glass of water. Then again, she was embarrassed when her husband (my mate) played and mentioned "This next song was written by my wife." To which she burst out with "Don't say that!!!!!!!!!" and hid behind her hair. With everyone looking at her thinking "Oh, she must be the wife." I told her, "Maybe if you didn't say anything no one would have noticed so much."

Anyway, this interesting idea to have smaller 45 minute presentations is much nicer and will give people less to digest, which is a good thing rather than 2 hours of me droning on about computers. Even I won't be able to talk that long about PC and Mac stuff.

Very interesting development, and here I am considering leaving the networking group, constantly telling myself the decision is made, then something like this happens. I suppose I should be more positive about it all. Though I'm just not enjoying being there any more.

You know, it's odd. I've been reading a lot on Buddhism and there are specific chapters talking about not enjoying being somewhere. Cutting a long story short, it's all my fault for not enjoying it there. It's my own problem that I am not coping too well with the fact that the person who has purchased the district my group is in isn't a nice person. They're a business person. They will step on anyone and cut you from the team if they feel you're not holding your own. And the only way they know this is by looking at the stats for the group. Sadly, I was hit up about it, and I wasn't even give the chance to say that the stats were wrong.

I've grown up with people telling me what to do, and is usually defied my logic, defied what I know better and went against my grain. Growing up, I know that just like this guy, I can cut off things that fit my life either. Our group was a nice group of small business who shared their interests, ideas and knowledge with each other. This guy has corporatised the group and added all this "team" building stuff like we now have to all get together and go to the pub for drinks every Friday evening. Because I'm usually playing some venue or rehearsing on Friday evenings, I can't make it, therefore I'm not a team player.

I'm not sure how this situation fits in with Buddhism, but I think there's an exception. When you're being beaten over the head with a mallet, you will eventually want to get out of the way. There's only so much mallet bashing my head can take before my patients runs out and I actually lose my temper. It rarely happens, my fuse is long, but if it's lit, and you don't put it out, stand back. The explosion isn't pretty.