Never stop getting to know people.

One of the perks of being a stay-at-home-dad is a lack of human contact. If you didn’t get the joke: I was being sarcastic, it’s not a perk.

It is truly at times like these that I thank the existence of the Internet. Without it, I would honestly be cut off from the world, doomed to face nothing else but the house, Elly and my own somber thoughts – not the best combination for retaining one’s social skills and sanity.

With the internet, I’m keeping in touch with other people through a variety of channels. I organise work matters through emails and interact with other Celtics fans through Twitter. Facebook is my means of catching up with friends and an attempt to keep somewhat abreast on the goings on in their lives, whilst WhatsApp is a very handy and free alternative to sending expensive text messages overseas. LinkedIn, obviously is an avenue to showcase my professional experience, a professional social network that is gaining traction as time goes by.

Granted all of the above tools are available and free to use, but what exactly is the thing that matters?

Knowing people and building relationships.

In life, one should never be too eager to maintain a 50-50 relationship. You give some, you take some. Always look to see how you can help people, and they in turn will help you someday. Never think about how you can benefit from knowing people. Instead, have a genuine interest in building a relationship (or friendship).

Remember:

Friends help one another, business partners look to screw each other without being too obvious about it – all in the name of being equal or fair.

Look to know people, make friends and never be afraid to extend a helping hand while giving it your best shot. No man is an island, it is silly to think that we can be totally independent without help from others. Above all, never be too ashamed to ask for help when you need it, because that is what being human is: relationships and interdependence.