Eat Alone. Not. Book Thursday.

Cover via Amazon

Eat Alone. Not.

Several of the cancer survivor-story books I’ve reviewed talk about the importance of the support of friends and family.

They suggest you cast a wide net in building your support system, both professionally and personally.

Not only will you need it, but, you don’t even know what people have to offer until you give them a chance to enrich your life.

Dog Bones

Recently, for instance, at the celebration of life event we had for my sister-in-law, who recently passed away, my awesome daughter-in-law made cookies in the shape of doggie bones.

Dipped in chocolate.

Just because my sister-in-law loved dogs. What a sweet way to remember her.

Career Advice As Life Advice

Keith Ferrrazzi’s recent book, Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship At A Time, is largely designed to show readers how to build their careers with strategic networking.

But, the larger story is not how to climb the corporate ladder or be the CEO of successful companies, as he was.

The larger story is that a social network offers support at any time of your life

Could you use his techniques to find the best doctor after you’d been diagnosed with cancer?

Absolutely. Talk to people who have gone through what you are and find out who they recommend. When you start hearing the same people being recommended, you will know who to trust.

Could you use his techniques to decide what to say and how to ask friends and family for help after a recent diagnosis of cancer?

Of course, you can. Ferrazzi talks about a Johari Window, which is a technique for matching your speaking style, extroverted or introverted, to the person you are talking to.

He does not suggest you change who you are, just be sensitive to how your listener takes in information. For sensitive news like a recent cancer diagnosis, some are not going to know how to react.

Give them a chance to absorb the information by matching your conversational style to their listening style.

Let People Be Generous

One of Ferrazzi’s tips is, “Don’t Keep Score.” By this he means, be generous in helping others, but also be willing to accept generosity, even ask for it.

One of my favorite quotes is on this point. “Autonomy is a life vest full of sand.”

It’s OK to need people. They want to help.

I didn’t expect to find advice for a cancer patient in a networking book. I just expected to read a good book.

I got both.

If you want to keep getting this blog, which includes Thursday book reviews, alternating between reviews of classic children’s books, autobiographies, and cancer survivor, or related stories, click here.

To you and the grandchildren you hold close

Carol Covin, “Granny-Guru”

Author, “Who Gets to Name Grandma? The Wisdom of Mothers and Grandmothers”

http://newgrandmas.com

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