Why Connect?

In our deepest, darkest places, we fear the dark because life depends on light – both a real and symbolic representation of life. When we are in the presence of other people, we feed off the light and life they bring.

Okay, to not go all metaphysical on you, let me explain what I mean. Solitary confinement, common in prisons around the world, has been shown to lead to several negative emotional outcomes, including: Anxiety, depression, anger, paranoia, and even self-destructive behaviors. It can be surmised that shunning, a common social activity, can also lead to similar emotional outcomes, whether someone is being shunned by an individual, group, or entire society.

Connecting, obviously, is the opposite of being shunned and can alleviate some of the feelings of being alone. So, what is LinkedIn? It is not just a place where you can search through the seemingly endless lists of people who offer a service you need, or perhaps have a skill set you want to hire or promote. It is a place where you can, within the bounds of business-appropriate behaviors, promote your message.

There are two major differences that come to mind between LinkedIn and the social site, Facebook. Naturally, Facebook, as its name implies, is focused on electronic face time between people. From that perspective, it’s pretty similar to LinkedIn, except that FB focuses on personal time, where LinkedIn focuses on business relationships.

Also, Facebook, from many reports and complaints, appears to be a ‘progressive’ and ‘liberal-leaning’ site, carefully monitoring posts to minimize what the administrators consider ‘offensive’ behavior. I have not witnessed anything like the level of censorship seen there on LinkedIn.

Many years ago, I traveled the country, speaking and leading personal growth workshops at churches, wellness centers, and groups focused on self-improvement. This was prior to the advent of the internet and before publication of my books. At that time, getting booked was challenging because most organizations, especially the larger venues, plan visiting speakers as much as a couple of years in advance (or more). And, as a one-man-show, I either had to spend my time on the phone, sending mailers (snail mail), or researching distant venues, or I would be out speaking. It was extremely difficult to do both simultaneously. Especially when you consider that cellphones were the size of a small suitcase and air time was exorbitantly expensive.

Over the years, my professional progression has been largely an uphill climb, but not in a bad way. While it has taken a lot of energy to move up the incline, the view has consistently improved. You should see what I can see now. One of my life coaches, Wilbert Alix, once said, “Once you start becoming aware and taking conscious control of your life, before long, your lowest lows will be higher than your highest highs used to be.” And, that’s what I’ve found. My worst day now is far better than my best days used to be.

So, that’s why I connect. I want to share what I’ve experienced and discovered in life. I’ve been blessed many times and in many ways by others; sometimes it was by their intent and sometimes it was simply incidental. Either way, a small nudge, a kind word, or an actual gift of some kind made the difference between backsliding or moving forward up the hill.

It is my hope that I can be that for others. That through my written or spoken word, or by referring to those who impacted me, I can shine a beacon in the dark, calling people toward their own highest and best experience of life.