I just asked a business client what differentiated him from everyone else in his business. In particular, I asked him how he competes with world-renowned experts in his field who send out free "how-to" videos. The answer is quite simple. You can't. And yet, what he brings to his clients is so much more powerful.
The point is that we are missing the point. We have gotten so caught up in more...more money, more things, more access, more communication, more information, more for less. But it's not more that we need. Don't get me wrong, being able to show my spouse what Grand Tetons National Park looks like without having to dig through boxes of old travel pictures is fantastic (yay, Google Images!). Having Facebook remind me that it is my friend's birthday, the one I haven't spoken to in months because I moved away 7 years ago and well, time zones make it "hard" to call her is good...and maybe today I'll pick up the phone. Being able to hear speeches from renowned experts like Victor Frankl is amazing and helps me with my research. But that's not the point.
The point is that the "more" we now have access to isn't fulfilling. And it's not fulfilling because it has nothing to do with what I consider to be the most important aspect of being human: connection. We need to connect. Connecting means telling your best friend that no, you really aren't ok, and she looks at you in a way that says "you don't have to say more, I know the pain that is inside of you". Connecting means explaining something to someone and seeing them realize that this is the key to what they have been struggling with for so long. Connecting means spending time buying exactly the right birthday cake and hand-making the perfect gift for a 15-year-old, because he needs to know that it's ok to like what he likes. Connecting means showing up on someone's doorstep just to spend time with them.
You get my point. All the technology, money and "stuff" in the world cannot replace these things. As humans, we need to connect, to be told we're ok, to share good and bad, to know that there are people out there who "get" us.
So I'm announcing that today is International Connection Day. Your job is to connect with someone, close or not so close, to remind them that we are all human and that connecting is GOOD for us. You'd be surprised how good it makes them feel! Oh, and while you're at it, don't forget to notice how good it makes you feel!
Have a great weekend!
