John Donne, a philosopher from the 17th century said, “No man is an island.” He was right…. then and now. People do not thrive when they are isolated from others.
We live in an interconnected world…. a fast paced…. interconnected world. My iPhone vibrates, my Facebook notification tab turns red, my home phone rings, and my daughter sends me a tweet. I am connected. You are connected. People are connected to everyone and to seemingly everything. And, for the first time in history, no one can be fooled into thinking any man is an island unto himself.
Expectations have changed. People expect us to be connected and offer connectivity. People want to be included in what is going on around them. Inclusion matters. Connections matter. Both matter. They matter more now than in any other time in history.
The challenge for all of us is to take advantage of the many ways modern technology helps us build and keep connections. We must use this power for our good, for the good of our personal and professional lives and to further our personal and corporate missions.
Keep building connections. Strengthen the connections you already have. Tell your old and new friends they matter by directly including and connecting with them. Keep in touch, add new friends to your “friend email list.” Find an old friend on Facebook and say “hello.” Tweet your kids and tell them they are loved. Invite the new family at church to join you for dinner. Get to know them, connect them with yourself and with others.
We are not islands alone in the middle of a vast ocean, but we are a sea of faces, souls and lives that thrive when connecting and depending on one another.