This past week I did something fairly hard for me.
People that know me (if they read this) would probably have a fairly incredulous look on their face if they were aware of the struggle it is for me to have done what I did.
I reached out to a complete stranger.
As I was spending a good 15 minutes mindlessly scrolling through FB, I saw a post where the woman mentioned she lives in the same state as me.
So I messaged her and invited her to meet at Starbucks to get to know each other and do some brainstorming.
Granted, we did have a common interest (coaching) but still/ an absolute stranger to me.
And as you can see by the smiles on our faces- it was GREAT! We connected on many levels and formed a fast friendship.
Trust me- this was hard to do.
The “me who isn’t trying” or the “me not living life to it’s full potential” would have normally:
- dismissed the impression to reach out and just continued my scroll through the feed with zero accountability
- Cancelled day of (out of nervousness) with a weak excuse or outright lie
- Not shown up/ then felt bad/ then reached out via “safe” social media with a lie about what had happened (tied up in work meeting/feeling sick/some family excuse (how many times do we let kids/family take the fall for us when we’re in retreat mode and can’t deal with things?)
- Questioned why someone like HER would even want to meet/get to know ME (feelings of inadequacy and comparison)
- Any/all of the above.
And why? Why do we let all these D words: discouragement, despair, depression, deceit, downward looking, keep us from living fearlessly. From reaching out and connecting. Especially in today’s world where nearly everyone is CRAVING human connection?
We all struggle with fears. And if we step away from the fear, away from the doubt, and turn instead to faith, hope and confidence, how “do-able” would that make our struggles?
What I learned this past week was that I esperienced more in common with a complete stranger, more shared interests, more energy and more joy then if I would have just
continued scrolling.
And isn’t MORE energy, joy, shared interests and connection something all of us are internally seeking?
In most of my sessions, lack of human connection probably ranks in the top 5. It is commonly voiced as something my clients are craving. Deeper meaning, human connection, genuine interactions. No one is immune. Because we are all human—and humans crave the human-ness we each possess. We want to be validated, connected, appreciated, needed and involved with and by each other. It’s human nature.
If I had not surrendered my fears, if I had not chosen to become Fearless in that one instant- the opportunity for growth and connection would have completely slipped away.
How can we live more fearlessly this week?
Who is someone, stranger or acquaintance, that we can extend an arm of friendship towards or make a connection with?
What ways do fear and discouragement show up in my life? How can I replace those traits with faith, hope and confidence?
