AI can Never Replace Co-Contributor

On January 25th, 2015, I took the train from Toronto's Union Station to New York's Penn Station to attend INMAN's Real Estate Connect New York City 2015, Jan. 27-30. The twelve hour journey went by so fast as my mind was quite busy thinking about business related issues.

Those days, my plate was full and there was a lot for me to think about. I was juggling with multiple issues all at once. I took too many projects at the same time and they were all bleeding cash. I was stressed as I was reaching at the end of my rope. My funding resources were drying up and to top it up, problem after problem was coming up. My job was to put out the fire. My situation would have rhythmed with the saying: "when it rains, it pours."

After twelve hours, we arrived at Penn Station. It was a bit awkward to notice that there were not many people around at the New York Subway Station. We came to know that due to a major snow storm, the subway had shut down. I went up to the street level and noticed that, except emergency vehicles, there were no taxis, cars, or anything moving around. The city was completely shut down.

With a heavy bag and perhaps a heavy heart, I walked all the way from the subway station to my hotel. I was hungry and while checking in at my hotel, I picked an apple from the bowl on the reception desk. That night I went to bed with an empty stomach.

On my credit card, I only had enough to pay for my hotel and train ticket. I only had access to $100 USD at that moment. I did not want to spend that money as I was trying to be prepared for just in case I had to take someone out for a lunch, to explore business opportunities.

The first day of the conference, on January 27th, I got ready and came to the hotel's lobby and as soon as the receptionist got busy with the hotel guests checking out, I picked an apple from the bowl and ate while walking to the conference. Thanks to INMAN's coffee breaks for fuelling my stomach. We had two breaks, one before lunch and one after lunch. My lunch was a couple of cookies (sorry INMAN, I took more than my fair share), and my dinner was the same. This is how I spent my four days in New York At INMAN conference in 2015.

Despite all these challenges, I was fully focused on my mission to learn the most I could. I attended all the main sessions and most breakout meetings related to my business. My mission was to learn something new and bring it as a gift so that I can take my business to the next level. Luckily, I did implement things I learned at that conference and it did work out for me and I have never looked back since...

You might ask, how did I stay focused with an empty stomach? How did I not feel lonely and depressed? How did I manage to attend all related and relevant sessions while I was so distracted with so many things happening at the same time? How could I be focused if my my mind was so occupied?

I have one answer for you, because someone else in my life was aware of what I was going through. The simple fact that someone in this world was fully aware of exactly what is happening to me, was good enough to keep me going. This might sound naive, but at that particular moment it was the most powerful force for me. It kept me alive. It kept me going. It helped me not to give up.

It empowers us when we know someone else knows what we are going through. This concept is unbelievable, but it is true. Our source of power is our heart to heart connection between us and someone else who understands us and understands our situation. We become much stronger when we share our challenges with someone who appreciates our struggle.

This type of connection is only possible when two human beings are transparent and open about their feelings. There is no connection if we play games and shield our true feelings. Of course, we could claim that we have friendships and close relationships, but what really makes it or breaks it, in situations like mine, is heart to heart relationships.

A true definition of a Co-Contributor is a heart to heart relationship between two entrepreneurs. They are genuinely looking out for each other. They understand the struggles of each other. Most importantly, they value and appreciate the presence of each other in their lives.

A Co-Contributor is someone that we are so close that we share our darkest moments and most difficult issues. By us knowing that our Co-Contributor is aware of our situation, it will help us to come out of our darkness. It enlightens us with the power of companionship and connection.

With this type of a relationship, the chances of success goes much higher for an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur with a solid Co-Contributor relationship does not easily give up when challenges arise. Rather, by sharing with a fellow Co-Contributor, an entrepreneur gets empowered. It is that simple. Just knowing that a fellow Co-Contributor is aware of the situation is good enough to help us keep on moving forward. It is an invisible fuel for an entrepreneur to keep on moving the engine.

No power in the world can replace this invisible energy from heart to heart. No technology can replace the power of two human beings connected wholeheartedly. The advancements in AI technology might replace the repeated tasks performed by a human being, but it can never replace the flow of energy between two human hearts.

AI technology's so called Co-Pilots might try to assist entrepreneurs in their tasks, but it will never ever be able to replace the heart to heart connections of two human beings. It is just that a human's heart gives a different type of energy that is not man-made. So, Co-Pilots might replace our colleagues, it can never replace our Co-Contributors.