Ripples #796: Connectedness.
A splash of inspiration
from The Ripples Guy
25 August 2014
PEBBLE
:
Connection:
the energy that exists between people
when they feel seen, heard, and valued.
-Brené Brown
BOULDER
:
Historically, we have overestimated
the value of access to information,
and we have always underestimated
the value of access to each other.
-Clay Shirky, shared by Terry in Oak Creek, WI
PONDER
:
I’ve begun my annual fall travel adventures to help staff and students around the country get revved up for the upcoming year. I believe that thriving in school, work, and life requires building and maintain mutually beneficial connections, and one of my core messages is encouraging people to surround themselves with the right combination of people with similar backgrounds and perspectives along with those who have experienced the world very differently.
Being around people who are SIMILAR to you allows one to feel comfortable, while being around people who are DIFFERENT than you allows one to be challenged. And anyone who has ever heard a pep talk from The Ripples Guy knows that optimal growth takes place only when an individual has the right combination of comfort and challenge.
Take a moment to see what you need more of in your life: connecting with a longtime friend who knows just how to comfort you, or stepping up to the challenge of getting to know someone at work or in your neighborhood that seems to have a very different background or perspective than you. Or maybe both?!
Peace,
Paul
