I have been thinking about community lately, and how much the human race naturally seeks to belong to something. This is why the internet has been such a incredible phenomenon, because it allows humanity to connect in more ways than ever before. Facebook allows people to connect with people of the past, present, and even make new friends. Twitter allows you connect with people of your personal interest, bloggers, celebrities, corporations, and close friends. Successful start up companies of the last 5 years have all been related to creatively connecting individuals in a new way. Youtube, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc… The list goes on, but the common thread is connectivity. Connectivity is not limited to the internet as social groups still exists. Running clubs, bike clubs, tennis clubs, HTML clubs, blogger clubs, and book clubs all still happen on a weekly basis. The purpose of those groups is to connect on a common interest, and do the things you enjoy together.
The human race was created to live in community with one in another, and what I am realizing is humans thrive when they are connected in a deeper way with others. I say thrive, because think about the feeling you have when you first meet someone and you realize the other person enjoys similar things. For instance, I meet another dude at the coffee shop, and we start talking about TV shows (I know random), and he brings up that his favorite TV show in the last 10 years was LOST. I love lost too!!! Instantly we have a connection, and I know that I am not the only one in this world to have that same feeling. There is something monumental about that feeling of not being alone.
Not being alone on loving the TV show Lost is a silly concept, but to not be alone in the hurt of a miscarriage can be life changing. When humans can connect on the pains of life, there is healing in the knowledge that someone else has been down that same road as you. There is healing in that connection, because you understand one another differently than anyone else can understand you. You both have a common bond of going through similar pains.
Humans thrive off of similar desires for the world. Individuals cannot make an incredible impact on the world alone, but as a group they can bring about significant change. As a leader in business, as an entrepreneur it is important to surround yourself with other individuals with similar passions to help you achieve your professional goals, or to support you in merely living out your convictions. Individuals are looking to connect with each others common interest to achieve something.
The purpose of this post today, is to encourage you to connect in a new way. In order to thrive in life you need to be a part of some form of community. In order to heal you need to connect. One area of connection/community that we didn’t discuss is the importance of vulnerability in your connections. Vulnerability can be a scary thing, because we fear rejection and think we are alone in our feelings. The truth is, vulnerability opens your life up to more connections with people. Take a risk, connect.
-Matt
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I hear this.
We have been putting ourselves into vulnerable positions a lot lately. Hitch hiking, staying with strangers, etc. it’s humbling to have to trust in others, be vulnerable, and ultimately connect.
I dig it mr Bruce!
When my stepfather passed away I felt very alone. I felt like there wasn’t anyone else that I connect with that understood what I was going through. I than met a guy in my yoga training who had lost his father just a year prior. The emotions he was describing to me was exactly how I had felt. It was such a relief to know that my emotions and reactions were normal. That I wasn’t necessarily crazy. Sometimes it’s even a connectivity that your loved one or significant other can’t even give you , and a random connection can mean the world. I totally feel you with this Matt. Connection can be an amazing thing.
Thanks for a great post! One way I learn to connect over and over is to listen. Not focusing on reacting or responding, but simply listening with openness. My boyfriend and I went through a rough patch, even broke up for a bit, but after we took a break, we started talking more honestly with each other than we had been for months previously. We both focused on listening and truly hearing each other and it completely transformed our relationship. We’re still working things out, but I feel closer to him, like I understand him and our togetherness better than ever before.
Aside from listening, simply taking the time to tell people we care can create such connection. Sending a little note or leaving a voice message, pausing in the conversation just to say “I care about you”… Those communications create connection too.
How did we stray so far from this practice? To the current situation?
good post Matt…..too often people become isolated in our society and then lose the ability to connect….it happens a lot to older people and to people who lack resources