I have been thinking a lot recently about the power of connection. Actually, I was watching a show over the weekend that highlighted the dysfunction of disconnection (people only caring about themselves or their own agenda or perspective), and it caused me to think about how powerful it can be when we make an effort to actually make a connection with someone else. I believe there are some people we can have a more natural connection with - people who we seem to just "click" with and we have a lot in common together. Those are the kind of relationships I think we need to cherish and be grateful for in our lives. But what I am talking about is the power that can emerge when we act with intention to create a connection with someone we might not naturally click with. It's so easy to just see the differences that exist between us, and let's face it, we live in a world right now that seems to thrive on highlighting those differences (can someone say politics?)! If we give into that temptation to highlight our separateness, we only re-create a world of greater isolation and we'll fall back into the dysfunction of disconnection. But if we are willing to slow down and deliberately look for the spaces of commonality, we can unleash the positive power of connection. For example, one of the connecting practices I attempt to use is calling a person by their name if I have it. If I am at a restaurant or a store and a person has a name tag, I use their name. Or if I call to a customer service line or a business and the person answers the phone and says their name, I will try and repeat it and write it down so I can use it during the call. I know this may sound kind of cheesy (my kids certainly thought it was while they were growing up!), but it's my attempt to remind myself that they are a person just like me, with a name and a story, rather than just a job or service I am being offered. The truth is, when we can slow down and take some time to look for ways we can connect with others (like we both have a name!), we discover we are actually much more similar than we are different. The power of the connection can help us overcome the dysfunction of disconnection! What are some ways you like to look for connection with others in your life? How could you shift your attention away from differences, and instead look for similarities to build a connection? Who might you encounter this week that just might need your power of connection in their life? Here's to using the power of connection! Be Well,
Stephen
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