Connections

Our lives are influenced by the connections we make. Those connections affect us in a positive, negative, or neutral way. When we are connected to people who are kind and nurturing, we feel good about ourselves. We take that feeling into the world and share it with others. People enjoy being in our company and are eager to foster a relationship with us. We feel a sense of power and self-confidence. When we are connected to people in a negative way, our feelings are quite different. We doubt our self-worth and see the world offering little hope for anything better. We have relinquished our power to others which can lead to a victim mentality. Because of this, healthy relationships are less likely to occur. It can be a downward spiral until we choose differently for ourselves. Neutral connections are those we have with people we pass anonymously on the street or in traffic. They are part of the greater collectivity of our human condition and elicit little, if any, emotional response. I sometimes think that it is during these times that we can experience disconnection the most. I use these times to connect with these people through my thoughts. I imagine an older person as once being a young child playing baseball or riding bicycles. Or I wonder what they do for a living or what kind of family they have. Doing this diminishes our separation. What connections do you have in your life today?