1-Minute Wednesday No. 181: The Power of True Connection
illustration by @milanicreative

1-Minute Wednesday No. 181: The Power of True Connection

Design A Life That Really Matters


“Fair warning: this is mostly about love.” ?

These words begin a powerful and authentic thread by Erik Newton on X.?

Erik recently lost his wife, Aubrie, to cancer. It was a tragic loss that has left a hole in his life and the life of their young daughter as well. But in losing Aubrie, Erik gained something, too: incredible insight into love, connection, and what truly matters.

By his own account, he and Aubrie had “an epic love affair.”?

“And yet,” he writes, “we reached a depth of intimacy while Aubrie was on her deathbed that we’d never had access to before. That depth of love wasn’t available to us any earlier for whatever reason, but it is available. I want to make it available to everyone by reminding you it exists.”

“Like anything,” he shares, “sometimes it’s easy, and sometimes it’s so very hard. But it’s always worthwhile.”

In the end, Erik shared two important realizations.?

  1. The only thing that matters at all is the quality of the relationships with the people we love.
  2. Progressively deepening love is the goal, an end in and of itself. If there is a point, it’s that.

So many forces in modern life pull us away from and apart from exactly the pinpoint precision of this purpose. But, if we allow them, there are so many relationships and experiences that can pull us back - we must simply remember Erik’s poignant reminder, “It’s mostly about love.”? ?


Listen



?

Join me as I continue my fascinating conversation with Yale professor Samuel Wilkinson, author of the thought-provoking book Purpose: What Evolution and Human Nature Imply About the Meaning of Our Existence ."

Listen in as we tackle the role altruism plays in the evolutionary narrative and explore the dual nature of humans—capable of both selfish and altruistic behaviors—and how the success of partnerships and family life often hinges on the willingness to put collective needs above individual desires.


Learn


The Meaning of Life Is Surprisingly Simple

Having a clear meaning in life is associated with greater happiness and satisfaction. Why, then, does it sometimes feel so elusive? In this article from happiness researcher Arthur Brooks, discover how you can explore what life means for you by examining three bite-size dimensions.?

Read the article here ?


Weekly Wisdom


“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”? – Thomas Merton


Take the next step in your essential journey with the Essentialism Academy. Join a community committed to less, but better and get instant access to masterclass courses that will help you live a life you design.? ?

Access The Essentialism Academy


Join over 175,000 others and get content just like this delivered to your inbox for FREE each week. Learn simple strategies and concepts that will help you?build a life around what matters most.?Subscribe here .?

Cole Baker

Founder + CEO of Investor Acquisitions | Real Estate Investor | I help real estate operators build their brand & attract investors | Trusted by 19 Firms | DM "Intro" to set up an intro call

10 个月

This is the power of the quiet! It brings you back to your roots! It reminds you what is important for you.

Sam Hajighasem

Growing B2B & Tech Brands on Social Media | Founder, Venture Media

10 个月

Your post on essentialism and effortless relationships really got me thinking! One thing I started doing after reading about essentialism is creating a priority list. I focus on the most important tasks and relationships first. Thanks for the wisdom.

回复
Ivan Carillo

Follow for daily posts about Lean, CI & Innovation | Continuous Improvement Manager @ Amazon

10 个月

Love the point about clarity at life's end. The superficial fades, and only the essence of genuine connections remains. This inspires me to nurture my most cherished relationships with more vulnerability and open-heartedness.

Linda Nickerson

??Transformational Energy Healing | Embodied Mindfulness Guide ? Empowering you to be your most vibrant and calm self, transforming overwhelm, exhaustion and stress, since 2002 ? RadiantRoseHealing.com

10 个月

Love this! That one trusted person could very well be ourselves!

Jonathan Praise N.

FTO @HealthStationNg | Associate Product Manager | IT Support & Operations|

10 个月

Just finished reading one of John C. Maxwell's, talked about the same thing, Honesty! When we are honest about how we live and feel, we give our family and friends opportunity to treat us the best way we need to be treated and save them the destruction that comes with them assuming a lot of things about you.

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