When was the last time you gave something to someone? In terms of SEO, I mean. You have a talent. I don't know what it is. Maybe you are a great designer. Maybe you are a CSS guru or a PHP pundit. Maybe you are a marketing genius or have the gift of gab. Whatever it is, you have something to offer. When was the last time you offered it? When was the last time you said, "Dude, what can I do to help"?
Giving your talents to someone else reaps rewards that are often unimaginable. Many times, you don't reap anything right away. I'm not talking about talent for hire or even the barter system here. Don't give someone a bit of your knowledge, creativity, talent or genius and expect to get money or a link in return. In fact, that person you help may never return the favor - at least not directly. But even if you get nothing from them directly, they will likely mention your name in passing at some point. Or someone will ask them, "Hey, dude, who made that totally rockin' logo on your website"?
Say you give your time to 20 people this year. Or 50. Or 100. Maybe you volunteer your talent to help a charity organization. Possibly, you mentor a kid who creates the next generation MySpace. Or maybe, you help someone, and they give you a link.
You don't always have to follow a step-by-step plan outlined in an ebook in order to increase your backlinks, gain authority and trust, or outrank your competitors. Step away from the rules once in a while and Give. It's kind of a cool thing to incorporate into your SEO routine.