It is All About Who You Know

My most recent learning experience involved proving right the common phrase "It's all about who you know." These six simple words can be found anywhere from the latest Hollywood blockbuster to a casual conversation between friends. Despite being ubiquitous in our society, I had never really believed it to be true. Basically what this phrase is implying is that the secret to success lies not in our merit or our accomplishments, but rather in our relationships. Being a self-diagnosed introvert, I always chose to believe the opposite, that even if we kept to ourselves, our actions would be enough to pick up the slack. I convinced myself I had to think this way because I have never been good at starting and fostering new relationships. A few close relationships with friends and family have been all I ever needed. But my first few years at college has forced me to change this mindset. Unfortunately for me, it kinda is all about who you know. Now of course it isn't ALL about who you know. If the world was run like that we might as well start electing kings and creating royal families Game of Thrones style. No, it is not that extreme, but it does play a much larger role in the achievement of success then I would have thought back in high school. What I have discovered is that relationships lead to opportunities and opportunities lead to success. Success is possible without them, but relationships provide a much easier route. For me this has been a bittersweet epiphany. On one hand, I have to rely more on communication and being charismatic than just my merit, a new and sometimes very difficult process for me. On the other hand, it has allowed me to meet a bevy of remarkable people that I would not have reached out to in the past. And like I said before, it opens countless doors to all sorts of different opportunities that would not be available otherwise. So in short, I have been converted from the boy who spends most of his time alone to the boy who is ready and willing to keep on meeting all of the wonderful people this world has to offer.