Blog - November 4, 2021

Day 4: The November Happiness Challenge 2021

Have you heard of Social capital? If you know me well, you most likely have heard of it because I don’t stop singing its gospel. I’m a big advocate of building your social capital because I’ve been a beneficiary of its goodness, and I love to share goodness so why not inform others about it? Social capital is basically your connection. According to Wikipedia, it is the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively. Do you see how deep the definition is? It is literally saying that the functionality of a society is dependent on its social capital, which means that its structure has to be upheld. The good thing about social capital is that you can build it right from the comfort of your home sometimes. Actually, your social capital is already being built since you were born. Your parents, siblings, extended family, classmates, teachers, playmates, e.t.c are largely a part of your social capital, and your actions and inactions would determine if they would remain so. In the world of today, getting things done will be facilitated by the connections you have, and I’m not saying this with the ‘nepotism’ mindset. What I mean is, the roles you take on career wise will most likely be applied for through a connection of yours who shared it, either privately or on social media, or on a group you belong to. The sales you would make if you are a business person will be affected by the kind of people you have in your network, either directly or indirectly. The partner you will end up with, is either someone you met via your friends or family, or someone you meet via social media( which is currently the fastest growing way of building social capital). The knowledge you will take in , will have influence from what people in your network are about. In fact, your way of thinking and decision making will have inputs from the kind of people in your corner, whether you like it or not. We all know that no man is an island, and we weren’t created to be alone or by ourselves. No matter how introverted or individualistic you are, you’d have to meet with people and interact with them. There is no escaping this, so why not start making intentional efforts to have quality people in your corner? Please note that this isn’t about having people with money or material things only. Money is good, of course, but there are many people in your social network who aren’t necessarily rich but have material things to offer. It can be that they give joy or positive vibes, and trust me, everyone needs people like that in their corner. It could be that they are resourceful and can plug you to any artisan or professional. It could be that they know where you’d learn new skills, it could be that they have a way of getting you customers for your business. It could be that they are perfect at planning hangouts and events and would bring you in to have all the fun. It is also easier to build social capital when you have valuable things to offer. You know that there has to be a reason people want to come to you. Is it your vibe? Your resourcefulness? Your kindness? Your hardwork? Your money? Just identify your strengths and build on it. You aren’t losing out by doing things to make yourself better. All I am saying, ( hear me out), is that you need to be more deliberate in making friends and building acquaintances. As I said earlier, social media has already simplified this in a way. You are able to slide into the DM of even the President of America. The least you’d get is a No, and has No ever killed anyone? I’m not saying you must force yourself up every ladder, or do things you aren’t comfortable with just because you want quality people in your corner. All I’m saying is that, you need a solid social capital to be able to do many things, and if I were you, I’d put in effort to build it. Build new relationships, nurture existing ones, do your best to be kind and leave others better than you met them. These will truly help you and will go a long way. Today, we are appreciating the people in our corner. They are our connections and the people we can rely on. They come through for us in the best ways possible and with them, life is truly better. They could be family, friends, lovers, colleagues, or even acquaintances. Tag someone or more people in your life and talk about one particular thing they’ve done for you that made you really know that they are in your corner and would always come through for you. Reminisce on a situation where someone was amazing to you, and thank them for it. Let them know how much you appreciate them for their goodness and for being a worthy social capital.
Note that you can tag one person, or as many people as you want with their different stories. Don’t forget to use the hashtag : #TheNovemberHappinessChallengebyOmotolaniee Leaving you with a picture of me, per usual.

I’ll be back. OBA