"Love Thine 'Enemy! It's Good Business!" Says Tom Peters

Management guru Tom Peters has been reading some of our minds.

His "Love Thine 'Enemy! It's Good Business!" post is a reminder that none of us can be all things to all people. So why not acknowledge that and support the old adage, to each his/her own?

Actually, the more the better.

Consider the activities of 300+ members of Network Marketing Central. Networkers from 118 different companies (yikes!) are meeting each other and, yep, buying and selling their products and services to each other!

Unheard of even a few years ago, and heresy still amongst the old schoolers of today. Because, the old ones still feel like they own you (the old slave concept?) and fret that if you meet another network marketer, you might run away.

But people who love their products and companies are not woo-able. They're confident in what they've chosen and can enjoy what others offer.

Loving thine enemy is a good thing in religion too. Loving doesn't mean joining, or giving up your own beliefs or company, but respecting that you cannot be all things to all people. So respect the others. No feeling holier than thou, either. What if you can learn something from an 'enemy'?

In India 60 years ago, Gandhi united millions who were used to killing each other every day over religious differences. He brought a nation of hundreds of millions of peoples together during the brief time he was here, with this simple and elegant belief:

"The principal faiths of the world constitute a revelation of Truth, but as they have all been outlined by imperfect man, they have been affected by imperfections...

"One must therefore entertain the same respect for the religious faiths of others as one accords to one's own....Where such tolerance becomes a law of life, conflict between different faiths becomes impossible, and so does all effort to convert other people to one's own faith.

One can only pray that the defects in the various faiths may be overcome, and that they may advance, side by side, towards perfection."-Gandhi, Vows and Observances.

Couldn't we replace each instance of faith here with company or cause, or point of view? There's nothing for everyone, so why not all get better together?

Doesn't mean you give up your own values. Just respect those of others and let go converting those who are happy the way THEY are.

I agree with Tom (and Gandhi) on this one...you?

P.S. Of course "Love thine enemy" is what Jesus taught Matthew 5:43.

Kim Klaver is Harvard & Stanford educated. Her 20 years experience in network marketing have resulted in a popular blog, http://KimKlaverBlogs.com, a podcast, http://YourGreatThing.com and a giant resource site, http://BananaMarketing.com and now a new online community for MLMers http://NetworkMarketingCentral.com