I attended a family anniversary party over the weekend. It was great to see everyone and celebrate the momentous occasion. There were people there that represented the different parts of the couple’s lives. People they had met in high school, at work, their neighbors, their family and children. Over a lifetime you meet so many people. Some that you continue to connect with throughout your life and others that may come into your life for a very short time. Seeing all the people in this room who took the time to attend this anniversary party says a lot about the couple and what is important to them.
This got me to thinking about building relationships. Some people are so good at it and keep up contact with people on a regular basis. Getting together with people on a regular basis can be challenging with everyone’s busy schedule. Others may find a way to connect once a year or only every few years. In this world of social media, however, it has become much simpler to stay connected leveraging Facebook, LinkedIn, and various other platforms. Although this is great, it is not the same as seeing people in person.
Being together in person and going through shared experiences is what bonds you more tightly to the people who were a part of it with you. This explains why people in the Military, High School, and College, for example, can get together and start talking together as if no time has passed. It is amazing how much those experiences connect you in a way that just stays with you forever.
Connect with the friends and family in your life. Talk to the people that you work with on a regular basis. Find out what is going on in their lives and share what is happening in yours. Building that kind of rapport helps you to build trust. You may be able to help them with something or they may be able to help you out with something that you need. Don’t wait until you need something to reach out to people. Be intentional about finding ways to reconnect with the people in your life, even if you can’t meet in person. Now you can leverage technology to help you more than ever before. You can send emails, make cell phone calls, text, facetime, skype, etc. Having people in your life that you can rely on is priceless. To quote from the holiday classic movie, It’s A Wonderful Life, “No man is a failure who has friends.”
How will you reconnect with the people in your life today? Share your ideas about how you make connections with the people in your life in the comments below.
