altruistic Archives by Mark Murnahan

The 1950’s may seem like an early time for social media, but what I will tell you is the way social media has worked since long before it existed as you know it today. It is also the way social media at its very best still works in 2011 and beyond. You don’t have to trust me on this, but I think you will.

When my “Baby Boomer” mother was a little girl of five years old, her father died unexpectedly from a very fast progression of cancer. He was a successful farmer who used all of the magical farming chemicals of the day. Although the new technology kept the pests off his crops, nobody told him it would cause him to leave his family early, at only age 38.

When my grandfather died, farmers came from miles around to help harvest his crops for the sad widow and her three little kids that he left behind. They didn’t do it for self-seeking reasons, but they did it because it was the right thing to do. They were all a part of a community which came together for the benefit of one and all. They were a part of a social network that you probably never heard of, and it was called Mount Ida, Kansas.

Mount Ida, Kansas was a farming community where they worked harder than most men can survive today. They did a very good deed for my family, and they brought in the crops that my grandmother and three kids of ages three, five, and eight could not.

Were Those Farmers Just Crazy?

In today’s society, there are some people who may look at these overexerted farmers at the height of a short-lived harvest season as crazy. They left their own crops in the ground in order to look out for somebody else. This is the kind of thing that some of us are privileged to witness, and a few of us are honored to replicate.

You can say that people don’t come together that way anymore, or that things have changed and nobody cares like that these days. Sure, we see things like a homeless person being beat up and nobody coming to their assistance. We witness atrocities of all kinds. What you may be surprised to discover is how often others band together and do what it takes, like that community of farmers in Mount Ida, Kansas, and do good things for others without an overzealous hope for immediate personal or business gain.

As I said before, you don’t have to trust me on this, but I think you will. That spirit of giving and being good to others is making a comeback. It has always been an important component of business growth, but now it is more visible than ever. It is happening in social networks today, just as it was in the 1950’s. If you take a close look at social media, you will find many instances of small communities of people sharing what they can, and offering their hand to others.

Some are giving what they know, and others are giving what they have. Some are aware that by giving to others, they receive more than ever. Some just do it because they saw it somewhere else and it made good sense to them.

How Were Those Farmers Repaid?

Those farmers would not take a thing from my grandmother. Not even a hot meal. They did what they felt was right, and you can bet that their hearts swelled by doing it.

They have been repaid, in some way, and probably even far beyond just the good feelings it gave them. Doing good deeds simply cannot go unrewarded forever. It is against everything I know, and everything I believe. This concept is steeped in history, and was even the focus of my 2009 book “Living in the Storm: Creating Joy and Inspiration When Everything is a Mess“.

When you consider why these farmers did what they did, and what it repays them over time, then you understand social media better than ever before. They planted a crop within a community, and not just in their fields. They did something which made them more endearing, and showed that they were more kind than greedy.

The Give and Take of Monetizing Social Media

For as long as people have been giving, they have always had needs of their own to address. It was impossible for television to be completely free, and it took money to build those networks … a lot of money. The same thing is true for the Internet, and all of the useful information you find here. Whenever something is given, something must be returned … somehow, someday, it must be returned. It is why we have the term “what goes around comes around” and why doing good things are reciprocated in some way.

People are still talking about those farmers’ good deeds more than sixty years later. It begs the question of what we can do today so profound that people will recount it kindly in the 2070’s. Those good farmers did not intend, forecast, or otherwise expect this. Their word is still spread because being helpful was in their nature. From a marketing perspective, many companies can take a good lesson from those Mount Ida farmers.

I hope I have been a good farmer today, and that you will use this small piece of my thoughts for the benefit of others around you.

You are welcome to subscribe and keep coming back, but what I really love are those people who will talk to me. Please give me your comments.

Just one more thing! I thought I would give you some perspective, in case you wonder “where in the heck is Mount Ida, Kansas?“

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The Cynical Approach

I encounter cynics every day … we all do. We let them in, and we let them steal our energy. You cannot help it, regardless how hard you try. When you receive negativity, it becomes a part of you.

In contrast to the kindness described above, many people take an opposite approach … in fact, most people take an opposite approach. Again, often subconscious, but very real all the same. How many times have you heard a parent, a friend, or even a spouse say, “I am just telling you this for your own good” or “I just don’t want to see you let down.” I have heard that from people who indeed care about me, but I always realized that there is also a darker side. It may seem like a huge kindness to protect you from your own bad judgment, but how many times have people failed as a result of that one tipping point of doubt. This is even more true if you hear it from somebody you trust … somebody that you know cares about you.

Is it selfish? Too often the answer is “Yes”, very selfish and bred from jealousy. After all, if you do something that they can not even imagine doing, how might it feel to them? Similar to the often unconsciously selfish acts of kindness, there are many unconscious acts of unkindness. You can like it or not, but that is the way it is. Most of us have probably heard this, but have you really thought about it? Have you thought about whether you do this? Have you thought about others’ hopes, dreams, goals? Have you tried to help?

Try Some Altruism

I hope that you will think about this, and try to encourage a friend, or even a complete stranger. I am going to do that now. If you do not know somebody whom you wish to encourage, send a message to one of these people to encourage them.

Amy Walker: This is a friend who recently lost her job. At first, it was a real shock. It is still hard for her to believe. However, she found a renewed interest in painting. She is a great painter, and a very kind person. If she has the right encouragement, I believe that she can create a new income selling her artwork. Click here to send Amy some encouragement. You may also want to ask her to see some of her paintings!

Michael Colemire: I have known Michael as a t-shirt screen printing provider, but he recently shocked me. This guy has an amazing talent at carving. During my regular Friday Webcast, we started talking about hidden talents around us, and he showed us his hobby. He was met with a unanimous belief from the audience that he should take his hobby to market. His woodcarvings are really spectacular. Click here to send a nice message to Michael. You may also want to ask him to see some of his carvings!

Eugene Aronsky: If you know a student returning to college soon, you should meet this guy! I met Eugene on Twitter and I have found him to be a great inspiration and a wealth of knowledge about books. He founded a company called We Compare Books, and his goal is to help college students to afford textbooks. He built the company out of a passion he gained as he was a student seeking affordable buys on textbooks. His Website compares prices for textbooks and offers a great comparison shopping resource. Click here to meet Eugene.

Richard Reed: I know this man as “Ritchie” from back in elementary school. He moved away when we were kids, but social media brought us back together and we recently spent nine hours at my home talking about then, now, and the future. I really respect and like my old friend “Richie”. Aside from his day job, he has created a captivating collection of high-definition videos from places he has visited. I want to encourage him to continue his passion and promote them for sale to film makers. See what I am talking about and if you agree, send my old friend Richie a compliment.

What Will You do?

So there you have it. This is what I believe. I hope you will take some time, right now, to think about how even a small act of kindness can change people’s lives. Especially yours! When you are kind to others, it can build a reflex. It can become natural to spread a kind word. When that happens, the good feelings you have about yourself can be shocking!