Me and my girlfriends having our “wine night” via Zoom last week :)
What have your connections been like with others since the virus/quarantine? If you’re like me, they have ranged from weird, amazing, uplifting, stressful, tense, and all over the place. We may not be able to control how our loved ones are responding, but we can focus on giving ourselves the best chance of feeling better when we do connect. The third quarantine hack is learning how to utilize and have the best quality connections.
Quarantine Hack #3: Quality Connection
As a result of hiring a therapist turned business coach almost six years ago, I learned what it would take to transition my business to online coaching. During this time, I began to meet like-minded women who were also looking to live a different way. I began to see what it was like to develop a “tribe” (I don’t particularly like this word, but it gets the point across).
As the years passed, I attended retreats with some of these women. I took other online classes, and went on more retreats to connect with people all over the world who wanted their lives to be a natural way to generate heart-centered business. In meeting and making friends with so many people through this exploration, my connections span the globe.
During this uncertain time, I see this momentum of connecting through online spaces gaining even further traction. In finding so many friends through online spaces of learning, here is what I have gained from the value of connection:
Connections don’t have to be organic: Most of the people I would consider friends now, are ones I have met through an online program. I still have friends in my town, but I value the diversity of my support as a result of moving in online spaces for like-minded connection.
Connections don’t have to be frequent: Being a hard-core introvert, I don’t need constant contact with people to feel fulfilled. In fact, having connections in the online world means I can pick up a conversation with someone I haven’t talked to in years. I can also send a brief message to someone, knowing that we speak the same “language,” and don’t need to have a long conversation.
Connections don’t have to be stressful: The biggest lesson I have learned in developing connections through like-minded interests is this: the quality of the connection/conversation is much more important that the amount. Having just one quality connection on a regular basis is water to my soul. If I do find myself in a stressful conversation, I can enact my ability to extend compassion or exert boundaries when needed.
How are you connecting or reconnecting with others? We are being asked to reach out in different ways, and I hope you are enjoying having FaceTime, Zoom, or phone conversations with old and new friends alike! Stay connected, friends. It is what will keep us sane and grounded.