The magic of connection – what’s your view?

“Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others.” – Susan Sontag

I have a theme word for 2019… CONNECTION.

I want to explore how making time for more frequent and meaningful CONNECTION with people, with my world, and with myself, can open up new possibilities and a more satisfying way of living.

To go from often being too busy for people… experiencing brain fog or overwhelm… cramming so much in each day and feeling like the to do list is never done…

To feeling I have room to breathe… to reflect, explore, enjoy the unexpected… and really talk.

I talk to people all the time, I’m out and about all the time… I know my work with clients and audiences is meaningful and connects with them… and yet I’m seeking even more connection.

Could more connection bring me more joy and enjoyment on a daily basis? Less feeling of ‘the grind’?

Could more connection bring more satisfaction to relationships, beyond the ones I give most attention to?

Could more connection make business flow effortlessly, all the time?

Could more connection give me a greater feeling of peace?

Could more connection create… more magic?

Though I’m sure that like me, a lot of people could use more connection, I know some people have it worked out. For example:

My friend got us such a thoughtful housewarming present when we bought our new home – a gold-coloured garden gnome and a welcome mat, which she knew we’d love – I doubt I’d even think of something like this. With a less hectic schedule, she is someone that I perceive as having more time in her day to reflect on what might be meaningful in a gift to someone else…

A businessperson I look up to calls me on a Monday morning from a café in Leederville, where he’s just hanging out, calling some contacts for a chat. Imagine a Monday morning like that…

A team of professional advisers I know prioritise socialising with clients and contacts in fun settings, because they know this is the quickest way to build a great business relationship…

“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone.” – Lin Yutang

Of course I’ve read the discourse on mindfulness, productivity, time management, outsourcing your life… and I’ve borrowed some tools from here and integrated some of them quite successfully into my life. But I want to take it to the next level, and I’m after some real-life examples from the community around me.

To help with my exploring of making time for more connection, I want to know:

• What structures or strategies have you put in place to give you more time to connect with people, your environment, yourself?
• What principles of connection do you live by?
• What has prioritising connection brought you in business and in life?

“Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing.” – Oscar Wilde

Please do let me know your thoughts on the why and how of CONNECTION. I’d love to hear your story.