Asking how you can be helpful

We possess wealth in many currencies. Some is in the form of money or capital that can be directly exchanged for money. But, we also have social/political capital that can't be purchased (directly). We accrue social capital by building goodwill and strengthening relationships. In other words, by being nice to people.

The value of social capital is hard to quantify. But, it's what leads friends and acquaintances to share interesting opportunities that you wouldn't know about otherwise. Examples include everything from professional introductions to being setup on a date.

The fastest way to create social capital is to be helpful to others, giving more than you take. So I challenge you to ask people how you can be helpful. You'll be surprised by how easy this is and by how few people do this. It also makes you feel good.