Let them laugh.
Let them judge.
Let them gossip.
Let them dismiss.
Let them roll their eyes.
Let them go if they want to.
The people that matter don’t do any of this.
They are supportive and trustworthy.
They are caring and compassionate.
They are honest and direct.
Actions speak loudly.
Make sure you’re paying attention.
Of the 8 billion humans on this planet, less than a few dozen would know simple facts about our great-grandparents.
Of those, most could barely share but a few details about our great-great-grandparents.
Almost nobody has a clue about our great-great-great grandparents.
In a few generations, we won’t be remembered.
That could scare us into asking “What does it matter?” or it could invigorate us into asking “What do I have to lose?”
Where do you get energy from?
For me, it’s:
Find the things that bring you energy and do them often.
It’s one of the keys to a happier life.
I’ve been podcasting for 5 1/2 years with most of the interviews taking place virtually.
It has its benefits with the flexibility of scheduling around a full-time job but it can lose the connection of being in the presence of someone and feeling that energy.
So, when I get to meet my guests in person, either during the interview or after, it hits home for me.
I’m making a deeper connection than just an interview. It’s a bond we have for the rest of our lives.
Some people I’ll never speak to again.
Others become peers and we support one another.
And some become friends.
Recently, I got to meet Adam and Kathryn Fraser of the Adventures or A+K (super cool people!) who joined the Just Get Started Podcast in 2020.
They travel around in their Sprinter Van, visit National Parks and other local hot spots around the country, and document their journey through their blog and YouTube channel. (https://adventuresofaplusk.com/)
After all these years trading messages through a phone and talking over the internet it was refreshing to see them up close.
To give them a hug, share stories, and trade some laughs.
It’s what we all need.
It’s what we should seek out more often.
It’s about connection.
Human beings connecting with other human beings.
I don’t care what type of relationship it is:
Parents and children
Husbands and wives
Doctors and patients
Friendships
Co-workers
In-laws
The list is endless but the result is the same.
We are emotional creatures and we need the energy that is created through connection.
We can’t live in a cave by ourselves.
We can’t shelter in and bang away on the keyboard.
We have to seek out these connections and create experiences from them.
Experiencing life with others is the most enjoyable way I’ve found to be human.
EPISODE 308: Creator of Robs10kFriends
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Episode 308 features the Creator of Robs10kFriends, Rob Lawless.
Find Rob Online:
Website: www.robs10kfriends.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-lawless-robs10kfriends/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robs10kfriends/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@robs10kfriends
About Rob:
On a mission to spend 1 hour, 1:1, with 10,000 different people, Rob Lawless has met over 5,200 people from ~90 countries in the last 7 years.
He’s shared every one of their stories to his Instagram, @robs10kfriends, catching the attention of media like On Air with Ryan Seacrest, the Kelly Clarkson Show, and the TODAY Show.
Meeting everyone from CEOs to celebrities to students to everyday people who’ve overcome extreme circumstances, he’s also inspired others to go on their own journeys of connection in Boston, Toronto, Germany, India, and Ethiopia.
Since taking his project full-time in July of 2016, he’s found financial stability through speaking at universities, companies, and conferences, and going forward hopes to become a professor of connection, helping students learn from each other rather than a textbook!
……..
If you enjoyed this interview you may also like my Just Get Started Podcast Interview with Seth Godin, Author, Founder and Speaker
How incredible is life?
In an instant, without any warning, our life can be altered in the most magical way by the most magical people.
People that, just a few seconds ago, didn’t exist to us. We had no idea who they were.
But, when we felt their energy, we knew it was something special.
We knew our life had changed forever.
We never know when it might happen but it’s incredible when it does.
We should all be grateful for those moments and look out for them more often.
Because they end up shaping the rest of our lives in a profound way.
One question is all it might take to change a person or situation. Just one question.
Being engaging and opening the dialogue can help facilitate deeper connection and meaning for the other person or group of people listening.
There doesn’t have to be a large presentation or formal agenda to make a difference. Asking a thoughtful or curious question can take dead silence to perpetual chatter.
All it takes is one question to change the tides. When the situation arises, instead of being passive with a closed-off response or hitting the “like” button, go ahead and ask a question.
You might be amazed how it sets off a domino effect and spurs future conversation or connection.
Try to ask one more question or be the one that breaks the silence with a question and see what happens.
Let the magic of connection take form from there.
Getting a surprise text from an old friend or a random gift sent to us makes us feel so good. We get a smile on our faces and we’re grateful that there are people out there thinking about us.
Who could we spin that idea around on today? Who haven’t we conversed within many months or years that we could send a text or message saying we are thinking about them?
It can be the smallest gesture but those can go a long way to make people feel better.
Think of 1-2 people today and take a proactive approach to message them. Maybe it’s a quick hello back, maybe it turns into a longer conversation, maybe it happens to lead to an actual phone call.
Who knows?
The most important part is the first message. The one that catches them off guard. The one that warms their heart knowing that there are people out there thinking about them, too.
When I was dropping my son off at school today I glanced in the rearview mirror as he was walking inside.
Just to get one more glimpse.
Just to make sure he was there.
And it was sobering.
It was a reminder that all of these moments we have are fleeting and all of the experiences or opportunities we have might not be there tomorrow.
Don’t waste them.
Choose wisely as the things we think are important at the moment like the BS of work stuff, watching the game, social media, etc are really unimportant in the grand scheme of things.
It’s the people and the experiences that matter.
We don’t want to get caught looking in the rearview mirror and regretting we missed that opportunity.
It’s never about the money and rarely about the power and influence. Even the celebrities that live on in history are there because of how they made us feel. There was a connection.
That means something.
It means we have the same opportunity to make an impact on the world but it’s our choice to decide if that’s going to be a positive impact or a negative one.
All of these, and many more I’m forgetting, are up to us with how we choose to project ourselves to the world as with the growing digital age, many of these actions will outlive us by many years.
Positivity breeds positivity. If we think it, speak it, and show it; it catches on. Unfortunately, the same can be said for negativity.
We control the imprint we want to leave behind on this planet.
We get to decide how we will be remembered throughout the history books.
How will you be remembered?
