When I was in kindergarten, I had friend named Joe. We were best buds because we connected. We had several things in common, we both lived on a farm, we were 5 years old, we went to the same school and we both liked riding horses. We even rode in the town parade together one summer and won a prize for best pair of cowboys for our age. Because we were best buds, we liked to talk a lot. Other than recess at school, we didn't have a whole lot of time to talk. When Joe and I wanted to talk to each other outside of school we would call each other up with the telephone. We often had slumber parties when I was a kid and Joe and I would find ourselves talking our moms into hauling us to each others' houses to stay the night on several occasions throughout the school year. We connected because we found things that we shared in common and we had founds ways to talk and spend time with each other. We actively pursued spending time with each other.
Why should we connect with others
- Learn from one another.
I found myself at the swimming pool with my family a couple of Saturdays ago. I struck up a conversation with someone who's son played 1 age level higher than my son Henry this past summer. I'm the youngest child of 3 and I typically ask a ton of questions . I began t ask about their experience and I was trying to gather information to determine if Henry was ready for that next level. We also talked about coaching and the dynamics of handling parents on the sidelines during the games and practices. I was in learning mode and I was sharing my experiences that I had gone through as a coach as well. - To get things done, at work and at home
We are most productive when we connect with others to let each other know our needs. If we share that we need help with something, others can pitch in and offer their skills to help you. If we don't reach out, our problems may seem overwhelming or it will take a long time. By reaching out and connecting with people, we are able to share and solve problems together and more quickly. - To be able to encourage and be encouraged.
When we are transparent with those around us, we can be encouraged and we can be encouraging. I have a neighbor that I love listening too. He talks about struggles in life that he's been through and about the process of learning about why he went through that struggle. He believes that everything happens for a reason and that you might not learn from things right away but if you reflect on things enough, you can learn from thing. He has truly encouraged me. If I hadn't told him about a story in my life, he would have never shared a story about his life.
How should we connect with othersThe telephone was a great tool to connect with people. When I used to call Joe in elementary school, we had one of those fancy wall hanging phones that you had to push a button to hear the dial tone before dialing the number. Also, when I dialed the number, it was with a rotary phone. That was over 33 years ago. Technology has come a long way.
- face to face - this may be the best way to connect as you are able to see facial expressions and listen to voice tones. This helps being on the same page.
- Mail - this is one of the oldest forms of communicating
- Email - you can connect to more people as you don't have to send your not just to one person, but you can send it to others.
- Cell Phone - with this technology, you can take your phone anywhere, it even says connected on the LED when you talking
- Texting - when you're not able to talk on the cell phone, you are able to send a 166 character text note via your cell phone.
- Instant Messaging - At work, we have a program called Microsoft Communicator, it allows us to instant message (or chat) with other co-workers in the company. You can get answers to your questions fairly quickly if you know who to ask and if they are available.
- Web Conference or Skype - I haven't done much of this.
- Twitter - you can send out a quick message to all your friends that are following you on Twitter.
- Facebook - Social networking tool that allows you to share messages, photos, stories with your friends and acquaintances.
- The Google+ social network has arrived and Microsoft is even coming out with their own Social Networking application.
When should we connect with others
When we need something, right? Not exactly. I believe we should reach out to others to share. Whether it is ideas, thoughts, or gifts. It is better to give than receive. As we connect with people, we can be beneficiaries of giving and receiving.
We should be respectable and reach out to those around us without being intrusive. In other words, keep your nose out of others people's business unless they ask you to jump in. There are times when people need space and boundaries are healthy to have. Communicating those boundaries effectively will help maintain a relationship and keep you connected.
As I've shared about connecting with people, let me leave you with this, think about all of the people that you have connected with (past and present), the people that you would like to connect with, and even the people that you should connect with that you have avoided or not bothered to take the time to. Start by saying hello. Share your life. Find common things to talk about. Learn from each other. Get things done. Encourage and be encouraged. It takes a little work but there is great value in connecting with people!
