Pay It Forward: How Helping Others Leads To Your Own Success

I have a friend who is a model. She’s tall, gorgeous and hands down one of the most generous people I know. It’s incredible to watch how she cares for people.

She buys strangers lunch if they've had a bad day, and she goes out of her way to ensure everyone at a restaurant, from the host to the bus boy, feels special. What’s even more incredible is seeing how that generosity comes back to her tenfold.

This woman gets whatever she wants, and it's not because she’s 6 feet tall with a killer smile, it's because of the way she treats people.

It draws people to her, and it makes them want to do things for her. She doesn’t do anything with the expectation of reciprocity, and it’s been a true lesson in how helping others can result in amazing relationships, clients and leads.

It seems the mistake many of us make is thinking there is a finite amount of success to be had in the world. In turn, we become so preoccupied with attaining our own success, we don’t put the time and care into fostering the success of others.

We need to realize there is enough money, enough customers and enough success to go around. Just because someone else gains success does not mean you will lose it. Accepting this fact will help open you up to the magnitude of benefits that come with helping others rise.

How exactly can you help others succeed?

1. Share your knowledge and expertise.

Everyone is an expert at something, and there are definitely people out there who can benefit from your experience and knowledge. Being open to sharing your time with others in order to help them get ahead is a pretty simple task.

Plus, through mentoring, you gain new knowledge and skills, and you have the opportunity to improve your problem-solving capabilities.

2. Share your resources.

Being a connector or simply sharing your network to help someone with his or her business or career could substantially help those who are just starting out or changing jobs.

If you see people post online that they're looking for jobs in your field, why not repost it on your personal page or send it out to those who may be able to help? It may take 10 minutes for you, but it will be a favor those people will never forget.

3. Make others aware of an opportunity.

How many opportunities come your way that aren’t quite right for you, but could be great for someone else? Instead of hitting the delete button, passing these chances on to those who might be better suited is a small gesture that could be a total game changer for someone else.

4. Be a cheerleader.

The same friend I previously mentioned is also my biggest cheerleader. She tells everyone about my blog whenever she gets the opportunity, and it's helped me build a network of models who further promote the site.

If your friends or colleagues have a business, a blog, a product or anything they are passionate about, don't hesitate to sell it to others.

5. Don’t tear others down.

On the other hand, you can be a huge help to others by not taking the opportunity to badmouth when you have the chance. Not participating in tearing those down who you may be competing with, and instead wishing them the best, is a practice in good vibes that will always come back to you.

Plus, why waste your energy on hoping someone fails, when you could be using it to build up your own success?

By helping others when you get the chance, you will build deeper and broader connections that may benefit your professional life. And they will most certainly positively influence your life as a whole.

From a motivational perspective, helping others enriches the meaning and purpose of our own lives, showing us that our contributions matter and energizing us to work harder, longer and smarter.

The biggest leaders of the world have gotten help on the way up, and they continue to pay it forward. Now, it’s your turn.