Thunderstorms!

Many people don't like thunderstorms. I guess I'm the exception. I love thunderstorms. I even had the nickname of "Nimbus" in my younger days as a Girl Scout camp counselor. Nimbus clouds lead to thunderstorms! Thunderstorms are the direct result of two very different masses colliding (cold and hot air masses) ... I won't get more complicated than that right now.

You've experienced the result of this mid-air collision ... rain, sometimes heavy rain, thunder, lightening, etc. For the most part, all good stuff for the environment. Even forest fires started by lightening are often left to burn as it was a force of nature. Typically after the collision, the air is cleaner (it even smells clean), the gardens grow better, the grass gets greener, and even the birds sing lounder!

How often do we look at our competitors and think, "I've got to avoid them at all cost!" "I hope we don't have a mid-air collision at a networking event or trade show!" Heaven forbid we actually try to collaborate with our competition in some way! What would happen if there were a mid-air collision of competitors and together they created a new outstanding product that only the two of them could have created using each other's strengths? Like the thunderstorm, it could be all good stuff for our business environment. Without networking your way directly into your competition, you'll never see the opportunities that might be waiting for you.