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What Are You Contributing?

31 May

After asking, “What am I doing that’s exceptional?”… I took a walk through a nature preserve and contemplated the question. I didn’t find an answer, but another question popped into my head that led me closer to the answer…

What am I contributing?

That question is at the root of all success, isn’t it?

People say creating value is the key to writing great posts. But where does value come from? It comes from a deliberate intent to contribute to the well being of someone else.

Do you want a happy family? What are you contributing?
How about a strong relationship? Are you willing to contribute?
Do you want more traffic to your website? What does it contribute?
Do you want better results in social media? What are you contributing to these communities?
What about your business or career? How does your work contribute to others?
Do you want more ad revenue? What are you contributing to your advertisers?
What about your health? What are you willing to contribute to your own well-being?

Being exceptional requires remarkable contributions.

5 Responses

Rick Cockrum

May 31st, 2007 at 8:08 pm
1

This way of framing the issue makes a lot more sense to me than asking yourself if you’re doing something exceptional. If you are contributing as best you know how, it can lead to the exceptional. The reverse isn’t necessarily true.
Steve

May 31st, 2007 at 8:45 pm
2

Rick,

I understand.

Isn’t something great created with the intent of contributing? And not the intent of being exceptional or remarkable? I’m just asking more questions about what Seth Godin wrote. He uses metaphor…but states clearly that he believes that unremarkable is for losers. What does he mean? What is exceptional? What is remarkable?

What is remarkable about Coca Cola? Marlboro? McDonalds?
What is it? Why do people care? A big yellow M?
Pril

June 1st, 2007 at 7:25 am
3

i’m adding answers from your bulletted questions You gave me inspiration to do this~!
Do you want a happy family? Yes i do… What are you contributing? I am keeping the house clean and communication open
How about a strong relationship? Yes currently having…Are you willing to contribute? yes I do I speak what is on my mind and ask questions
Do you want more traffic to your website?Would love to… What does it contribute? maybe a sale or something however i need to get off my lazy butt!
Do you want better results in social media? I work in the media it pays the bills i really could care less at this point… What are you contributing to these communities? I do my job with some passion unlike some other humans who do a half ass job in there career
What about your business or career? ummm okay… How does your work contribute to others? working for the media we give the community entertainment and events to go to and we are activily involved in schools what student don’t have a favorite radio station!
Do you want more ad revenue? I don’t have any ads What are you contributing to your advertisers? the humans that advertist with our stations get a lot of added value!
What about your health? starting to have more foucus ..What are you willing to contribute to your own well-being? I quit smoking 7 months now and currently working on a great workout program

over all how i feel about your post is iffy! we all contribute something at some point! but it’s not allways about contribute I would prefer to have someone passionantily contribute then some one who is just doing it because i has to be done!

here is a topic for you!
people who work what % really care about there job/career as if it were there own company!

if that % is more on the side of people who don’t care! then don’t ask why someones home may fall apart! and don’t get jeoulous because the humans in the past had more passion about what they did instead of getting a pay check!
look at buildings how creative they were back in the day.. look at the stamps they are building now! do you feel there is passion in there or greed?
Today is that Day

June 1st, 2007 at 4:37 pm
4

Steve,

This is a GREAT post! We all spend so much of our time wanting all of these wonderful things in our lives, yet on the inside we know that you can’t get something for nothing.

When people start making a conscious effort to create value in every area of their lives, they will start to realize their own value in the process, which, of course, is extraordinary.

As opposed to remarkable…

Great stuff!

- Aaron
Self Improvement and Law of Attraction Link Love, Volume 17 : Today Is That Day

March 24th, 2009 at 8:26 am
5

[...] Steve Olsen – In a short but very powerful post, Steve asks the question What Are You Contributing? It is a wake up call about the fact that even though you may be striving for greatness, if you [...]