Building a great consulting practice has been a focus of ours over the last four years. There have been many challenges, learning’s, failures but also many successes during that time.  It has been a great ride and we look forward to continuing to develop a great business.

One of the most rewarding things has been meeting some really great people along the journey.  People who are keen to build trust, mutually beneficial relationships and partner together. What I have found is that you give much more than you receive. Starting from this law of abundance of giving to others is also a great way to approach life. Give and expect little in return is a great way to live.

It does though translate to sometimes being taken advantage of.  Instances where we have gone out of our way to help certain individuals and companies and these individuals have not reciprocated.  We have spent hours of time to help them develop their businesses through providing free advice, sharing learning’s, ideas and concepts.  From this, they have literally taken our business model, approach, services and other areas and copied them or assured us that they are working in partnership and have then not been ethical in subsequent dealings.

It has been hurtful and perhaps has meant we have withdrawn from engaging with those individuals further.  No one I know likes to be taken advantage of.  It makes you question whether you wish to continue to work from the law of abundance.

So how do you respond to this appropriately?  Do you adopt the opposite approach and work from a position of mistrust until trust is developed with each and every individual you come across?

I genuinely believe helping people is a good place to start in any new relationship.  It will serve you well.  Don’t let the one naughty child in the classroom dampen your enthusiasm to abundance i.e. the one individual allowing you to lose your abundance approach to working with others.

Sure it is painful when you feel you have been taken advantage of and it is definitely hard to come back from experiences with individuals who don’t work in the same manner, however it is far worse to be sceptical, negative and reluctant to share with others. Surround yourself with people who adopt the abundance mindset, give to you and others and who are positive by nature.  The entire classroom will thank you for it!