Connect With Someone You've Never Met

*NOTE: This is a sampling of one of the weekly challenges that I send out to Mindful Journey Community members every Sunday. The formal outreach is accompanied with an action item, reflective questions, and an opportunity to engage with fellow community members to share successes and/or shortcomings with the challenge.

When we were young kids, it likely came naturally for many of us to make friends. We were immersed in environments in school, at sports, and through other activities that allowed for instant collaboration and connection. And while the environments that we were placed in may have allowed for an expedited process to more easily connect, what I believe ultimately allowed for our connection was the curiosity we possessed, the fearlessness we occupied, and the lack of bias we exhibited.

In other words, the world had not yet shaped us. Too often, however, as we grow older we stop connecting with others as easily. We lose our curiosity, we become fearful rather than fearless, and we start judging others and sizing everyone up. And because “life” may have taught us that people can hurt us, we stay reserved and often time, distant. It becomes a lot easier to surround ourselves with people who believe what we believe and/or with those we believe can help us in our business or in some aspect of our life.

Approaching life with this ideology however, disallows you from ever truly experiencing all that life has to offer. How sad would it be to think that you miss an opportunity to meet your best friend, your future love, or your future business partner, all because you were insistent on playing it safe and had your head down operating on auto pilot. The truth is, life is all about connection. And we have to make an intentional effort to connect. While I’m not suggesting that we can make “friends” or even should be friends with every one, my intention through this week’s challenge is to encourage you to connect with a new person every day that you’ve never met!

THE CHALLENGE: Connect with someone you’ve never met!

For some of you, this challenge may be easy due to the nature of your job. If you’re in a sales producing role, for instance, you’re likely cold calling or aligning meetings with individuals whom you’ve never met. If that’s the case for you, my hope is that you’ll take this challenge one step further and strive to connect with an individual outside the scope of your prospective clients.

It doesn’t need to be a grandiose experience, and this challenge shouldn’t come as a burden, but rather, a task to help you become more intentional as you navigate your days. All of us are so busy now that I’ve realized if we aren’t thoughtful and deliberate about connecting with others, we won’t make it happen.

Strive to get back to your childhood days. If you see someone doing something that interests you, ask them about it. Let go of your ego! If you are sitting next to someone in the coffee shop who “looks different” than someone you usually talk with, engage with them. If you’ve always been interested in how someone built a business, completed a project, or had written a book, send them a cold e-mail or write them a cold note to inquire. The goal isn’t to get something out of any of these connection points, but inevitably you will.

The goal is simply connection. It’s to reignite your curiosity, to become fearless again, and to eliminate bias so that you’re able to engage with others deeply. Relationships and service to others are what ultimately help to make us feel fulfilled. While the legacies we leave can encompass a financial or business piece, it’s the small things we do each and every day that actually help us leave our mark. One kind word to a stranger today, one conversation with a stranger tomorrow, or one act of kindness the next day creates a ripple effect that is immeasurable and ultimately lives on forever.?

When you give more, you feel more alive yourself. When you connect more, you feel more connected to yourself. Promise yourself this week that no matter how busy you get, you will make an intentional effort to connect with some one new every day! Again, though the goal isn’t to get anything from these connections, you may just find that you initiate the start of a lifelong friendship, gain new insights, or have your world changed for the better. Stay curious, stay open, and live inspired. Wishing you all the best this week!

Adam

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The Mindful Journey is an online community committed to well being and performance. Embedded within are mini courses, weekly challenges, monthly group coaching calls, live guest interviews, and more. In a time when there are so many distractions and challenges faced on a day to day, The Mindful Journey serves as a place where individuals can go to recalibrate and take care of their mental well being. For more information and to register, please visit: www.journeymindful.com.