Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Each of us has a number of supporters who support us in various things – emotion, business, profession, career, finance… They can be individuals close to us, such as father and mother, sisters and brothers, relatives, friends… or organizations, such as commercial companies, non-government orgnizations, temples, churches, schools…

To support means to lift us up when we drop down, to carry us when we collapse, to prop us up when we’re unstable, to refesh our spirit when we lose hope, to give us a shoulder to lean on when we’re heavy laden, to defend us when we’re downtrodden, to hold our hand when we’re lonely, to bring us light when we’re hopeless…

Your suporters stand on three concentric circles, with you at the center. The innermost circle (number 1) houses your strongest supporters – father & mother, brothers & sisters, closest relatives, best friends…

The next circle out (number 2) consists of friends, workmates, work supervisor, employees, teachers, relatives, priests, nuns, neighbors…

The outermost circe (number 3) contains your doctor, lawyer, dentist, banker, finance advisor, grocer, real state agent, travel agent, insurance agent…

Generally, each of us, with some minor variations for each person, has these 3 supporter circles, with the innermost being the strongest and the outtermost the least strong. All three circles are our supporters. We need to keep them with us, for they are our family and friends, and they give us the strength to go through life.

About the inner circle, many folks take their family for granted and don’t consider family members their supporters. They are dead wrong. Family members – dad, mom, brothers, sisters – usualy give us emotional and spiritual support, especially when we don’t have much support from outside the family. Sometimes there is such a thing as family tension, but even with tension, the emotional ties in the family are always strong and beneficial, if we know to appreciate them. Even when family members are not talking to each other, they always care about each other in their own silent way. So, even if you don’t talk to your family members, keep in mind that they care for you greatly, and this understanding, in turn, will help your heart greatly.

Some young folks don’t want family’s financial support, because they want to work their way up independently. I think that is an unwise attitude. If you want to start your own business and your dad wants to give you money to start it, you don’t have to say “no” to be independent. You don’t need to have an “independent” attitude toward dad. Family members are supposed to be interdependent. Family is not neighborhood. If dad gives you money, take it with gratitude. But you want to be responsible in business, so before to taking dad’s money, show him your good business plan and a way to repay him his “loan.” Call that a loan, and you will repay dad, maybe in monthly installments for some years, with interst rate that the banks are charging. Treat dad as your banker, so that you will run your business professionally and responsibly. You will grow up faster and better that way.

All other people in all three circles are your supporters – they know you and you know them, they trust you and you trust them – so keep them within your reach, and come to them when you need their support. You will understand their value to you when you move to a new city faraway and don’t have any supporter in any circle around you.

There is another circle of supporters furthest out from you. That is the circle of your customers (if you do business) or voters (if you do politics) or readers (if you are a writer) … Generally, they are the people who consume the products you provide.

Look at the bicycle wheel above, the hub of the wheel at the center is you and the three concentric circles of your supporter. The big wheel outside represents your consumers. They are your supporters because they bring money or power or job to you. So, treat them well and try to keep them with you. They are your customers and they will bring more customers to you. All customers do that – if they like you, they will introduce you to their family and friends.

Many business people abuse their current customers while trying to court new customers. That is stupid. Your current customers are your advertising company – if they like you, they automatically advertise you, free of charge. And hundreds or thousands of your clients advertising you constantly, every day, is a very very big and expensive advertising project, for which you pay zero đồng. Therefore, be nice to your customers. Not only your customers are your kings, they are more than kings, because they bring more clients and more money to you constantly. Kings don’t do that.

Alright, that is all four circles of your supporters. Be nice to everyone standing on those circles. And you will be hugely successful, however you define success.

Wish that we all be successful.

With compassion,

Hoành

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Trần Đình Hoành
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