Today’s Prompt:
Courage to Connect by David Spinks
Men imagine that they communicate their virtue or vice only by overt actions, and do not see that virtue or vice emit a breath every moment. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Who is one person that you’ve been dying to connect with, but just haven’t had the courage to reach out to? First, reflect on why you want to get in touch with them. Then, reach out and set up a meeting.
(Author: David Spinks)
Read the post online: http://ralphwaldoemerson.me/david-spinks
Reaching out to others is probably one of my biggest failings. It seems to trigger the worst of the introverted side of my personality. I don’t want to be judged and found wanting by someone else. This is, of course, what I am most afraid of — that someone will turn me down, ignore me, get angry with me for wanting to connect.
I also resist connecting with more famous people as I look for deeper relationships with others than simply “meeting” them. People here in Los Angeles often talking about “meeting” famous people when what they really are saying is that they briefly bumped up against them at a party or event somewhere. Neither were changed by the meeting, no matter how much the person might want to believe it. Famous people are overburdened with requests for their time and attention and I don’t want to be yet another hanger-on trying to get their attention.
Over the years, too, another thought has been in my mind. Rather than following the already famous, I look to discover the underseen and underheard voices that are birthing “the next big thing.” I can find out what a celebrity is doing from a hundred different sources, but Twitter, Facebook and others have finally made it easier to find those impressive people amid all the noise and gain the benefit of their thought years before anyone else. These are the people I follow and interact with. Perhaps this is why I spend less time trying to connect with more prominent people. Perhaps I subtly realize that their thoughts and actions are already relatively commonplace and I am looking for new ways to learn and grow.
#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create direction for your future. 30 prompts from inspiring thought-leaders will guide you on your writing.