Category: Meaningful Connection

While scrolling through Pinterest, I stumbled across a question: “What do you scroll for? What are you looking to find?”

In my case, I was looking for inspiration. Inspiration for myself and inspiration I could share with others. To take it a step further, I was looking for pathways that might take me into myself. I was looking for triggers for inner work. I was looking for understanding and depth that’s digestible and appealing.

Not too long ago, I recognized that my social media platforms of choice were causing me to undervalue myself. I was looking at everything I wanted to be… everything I wanted to have… everyone I wanted to be with…

And it was taking me further and further away from myself.

And it’s not like there isn’t anything inherently wrong with looking at those things… but, it became toxic for me. It wasn’t serving me… it wasn’t leading to growth… it was only leading to self-limiting beliefs and defeatist mentalities. So I quit and focused my attention elsewhere.

What I’m finding interesting now is that I’m back on those same platforms, but with a completely changed mindset. I started following creative music accounts—mostly DJs sharing tips, tricks, live performances, and so on. And I’m loving it again.

…What am I looking to find?

Inspiration that’ll help me build my skills and expand my musical understanding. To take it a step further, I’m looking for ways I can better connect to the present moment via music and dance… ideas that’ll help me create moments and spaces like this for others… and opportunities to just celebrate life with seas of strangers.

…What are YOU looking to find?

I had a moment twice today when I was thinking about calling someone and then thought to myself, “Ehhh… I don’t really have much to say though…”

But, I forced myself to call them anyway—in both instances.

The first call ended up lasting about 15 minutes.

And the second call ended up lasting 45 minutes.

…It was a reminder that I don’t have to have the whole conversation figured out ahead of time.

…All that’s needed is an intention, a simple train of thought or question, and a willingness to listen.

The rest tends to take care of itself.

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P.s. ICYMI you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week here.

Today, while out at lunch, the owner came up to my table and started a light conversation.

She asked me how the food was… told me a little bit about the dish I ordered and how she made it… and told me to be safe while driving because of heavy snowfall.

It couldn’t have lasted more than 2 minutes and wow… what an impression it made.

What’s more is that before she came to my table, she was chatting it up with another table that had a mom, a dad, and a newborn baby. And while they were chatting I overheard the mom say, “Yeah, it’s her birthday today and we wanted to bring her in to see you! …Can you believe it has already been a year?”

Now, I don’t know if they *actually* know each other outside of the restaurant or not, but I like to think she started a light conversation with them a year-ish ago and they, too, were impressed and kept coming back as a result…

This is really all it takes to make a lasting impression…

A little initiative… A good intention… and a genuine interest…

The rest… surely enough… tends to take care of itself.

Tonight, I met some of my sister’s favorite people for the first time.

And towards the end of the night, as she was reinforcing to me why she loved them as much as she did—because of how kind, funny, supportive, adventurous, generous, loving, spontaneous, and so forth, they each were—she told me she often wondered how she got so lucky.

And I told her it was simple…

The people she attracted into her life were a reflection of her. It was because she was kind, funny, supportive, adventurous, generous, loving, spontaneous, and so forth that those very same kinds of people were attracted to her. And that it was no coincidence that so many amazing people loved being friends with her.

…Because she put the work in to become amazing herself.

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P.s. ICYMI you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week here.

When I’m around people I don’t know and in an environment I’m unfamiliar with, my default setting is to be reserved, quiet, and observant.

And once I recognized this in myself… I recognized there needed to be a conscious and deliberate effort in intentionality if I wanted to be social, outgoing, or take chances on meeting people.

You can’t grow from the problem you haven’t first recognized.

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P.s. Love yourself.

There are countless gifts being exchanged across the world during this time of the year.

And I’m sure you have many gifts you’ll be exchanging as well.

A question: What gift are you most excited to give?

…And why?

Is it because of how personable it is? How hard it was to find? How much time/energy/effort went into making it/deciding on it?

Ultimately… the gift we’re most excited to give is the one we probably think is going to elicit the biggest emotional response.

Because at the end of the day, what we’re really after when we exchange gifts isn’t an item for another item… what we’re after is an exchange of emotions. Joy for joy. Gratitude for gratitude. Excitement for excitement.

Remember this not only as you’re giving gifts… but as you’re receiving gifts, too.

Sometimes, the best gift you can give has nothing to do with anything you bought… but rather has everything to do with the type of responses you give when you open something someone else bought you.