To my readers: I recently wrote this guest blog post for Jacqueline Boone at 6 Months to Live http://6monthstolive.me. Jacqueline is a connector and an adventuress who lives each day defying small! Enjoy. Laura
Connection is why we’re here. It’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives. ~ Brene Brown
A lot has been written about the power of connecting. And if you move in the world of social media, like I do, you begin to believe that connecting means this: more Facebook followers, more blog hits, more retweets.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
You see, connecting isn’t just about numbers. It’s about joining with others to accomplish something you’re unable to accomplish alone.
Connecting sharpens us. I’ve been writing professionally for twenty-seven years, but I’ve only been tweeting for three (you can read my life-changing Twitter story here). Over the past few years I’ve learned a lot about blogging. But I still have to seek out marketing experts to help me with SEO, RSS, and HTML. By connecting, I can be even better at what I do best.
Connecting inspires us. What I love most about connecting is seeing other people embrace their gifts and passions and live their biggest lives. When I connect, I not only have allies helping me reach my goals, but I have the joy of helping them, too. People like Jacqueline, alias “Cheerleader of the World,” who is also writing a book this summer. And Torre deRoche and Evan Sanders, who just launched theirs.
The beauty of connecting is that every connection is as unique as the two people themselves. Sometimes connecting is just a brief interlude. At other times it is a life-altering catalyst that sets you on a path of change and growth.
Connecting transforms us. One great example is this blog post. I recently took an online blogging class through Skillshare called “Build Your Blog’s Unique Brand & Audience.” Jacqueline was my teacher.
Not only did I learn how to make my blog more appealing, I also met a kindred spirit and made a new friend.
Carl Jung said, “The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.” I’ll never forget something Jacqueline said to me the first time we spoke on the phone. After a few minutes of chatting she laughed and said, “You’re a connector!” I already knew that about myself. But being recognized as a connector? That was life-changing.
It was that connection (and a series of others) that birthed the idea for Defying Small, an online community I founded of visionaries who want to live bigger, more passionate lives.
Connecting requires vulnerability. I love connecting because I am an off-the-charts relational being. I am also an introvert. I need time alone to think, work, and refuel. Connecting requires stepping out of my own world and into another’s. It means self-disclosure and vulnerability (risk). If we’re going to connect with others in a deep and genuine way, we must be vulnerable. And that means being our true, authentic selves.
Daring Great author Brene Brown has researched and written extensively about vulnerability and the profound impact of connection. Here’s a TED Talk she gave on the subject:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o?rel=0]
“They had connection as a result of authenticity. They were willing to let go of who they thought they should be, in order to be who they were.”
How are you connecting with others? How has connecting changed your life? I’d love to hear your stories. Please leave a comment below.