Human Interaction

Powerfully Choosing Connection

Connection.

We are human beings and need that human interaction.  We crave it.  There is a physical and mental shift that happens when we do.  Of course, there are positive connections and negative connections.

In my book, The GSD Factor, Get Sh*t Done, I talk about the importance of living life with open hands, and when we look at this concept through the lens of connection, it means the right people will flow in, and the wrong people will flow out.  Our GSD Factor Clan and GSD Factor Insiders Board are two examples of those connections that I recommend you live with open hands.  Embrace where you are and whom it is with, but be open to the fact that there may be some connections that are seasonal.

Also, be open to the fact that connections may lead to other connections, or maybe you are supposed to attend some events just because of that single connection.

As I’ve been leading an entrepreneurial life over the past two years, trusting the universe and my chosen higher power to bring divine connections and encounters my way has been a stretching and growing experience.  What I’ve learned, however, is to trust the timing and to trust the intentionality of why you are meant to be somewhere in that moment and whether something is supposed to happen or not supposed to happen.

Connections can’t be built without authenticity and honesty.  A connection is a relationship.  It needs to be cared for and respected.  During my entrepreneurial journey, I really had to powerfully choose to be intentional with building new relationships and new connections.  I had strong relationships within my industries, former work colleagues, and even my late father’s international connections that have stayed in touch with my sister and me since his passing a decade ago.  But I was craving something more.

I wanted to grow and expand.  I wanted to dream big for myself.  I knew that I had evolved.  I had lived a lot of life, and with that, I needed some fresh connections that saw the new me.  I think turning 40 also has something to do with it.  There’s a shift that happens.  If we aren’t changing, we aren’t growing.  If we aren’t growing, we aren’t evolving.  Therefore, I powerfully chose to be intentional and invest time in new connections.  This has challenged me.  It hasn’t always been easy, but I was consistent and kept showing up.

Many of these new connections or reconnections have been made on LinkedIn.  Key members of my GSD Factor Clan, GSD Factor Insiders Board, and even my GSD Factor Publishing team have been results of powerfully choosing to be intentional with building connections.  Because of authentically and transparently putting myself out there, I have been able to reconnect with former colleagues, friends, and even family.  Though years and even decades have passed since last speaking to some family members, NOW is the season that we need one another. NOW is the time for our reconnection to take place.

It’s actually been a lot of fun connecting and reconnecting.  Finding individuals that see me NOW.  Finding individuals that dream big with me NOW.  Finding individuals that keep me grounded.

So here’s to powerfully choosing to connect or, in some cases, to reconnect.

If you struggle with confidence in connecting, I recommend reaching out to Dr. Michelle Morkert and Raghu Sundara, who have great programs and resources on Connecting with Confidence.