Last week was one of the best of my life! 

What is your favorite story of how people are embracing social connections in this time of restraint?

My favorite story was from my friend, Ray. Ray made a list of his dearest friends from different times in his life and proceeded to call everyone one of them in one week. He called 21 people and talked 31.5 hours. One call was 4.5 hours long! Ray was deeply touched by how each person embraced his call, grateful for the joyful connection and relief from the news of the day. He told me, “Last week was one of the best of my life. I got to reconnect with so many buddies and friends, and those calls feel like just the beginning of more meaningful connections.”

Wow, that was not what I expected to hear but it made perfect sense. In this time of “social distancing,” we are reconnecting with what we most cherish. And, for many of us, this means connecting with the people we love.

Ray inspired me to start a new daily practice. I like to journal and I begin every day by listing at least 3 things I am grateful for. Now, I have added a new list of reflections on opportunities

or connections that I would have missed out on a month ago.

In our work, we encourage organizations to ask questions about and learn from past experiences. We ask them to study when they’ve been at their best. This sometimes means looking at what worked when the glass was only half (or perhaps even barely) full. Insights from those experiences often shine a light on unique strengths and opportunities, especially in turbulent times.

As you reflect, connect and learn in the next couple weeks, consider asking yourself and others:

What unique opportunities or connections have come about as a result of this “time out”?

What are you being called to that you wouldn’t have noticed, experienced and/or committed to before this time?

What are we becoming that we wouldn’t have become without this experience?

We’d love to hear what you discover!

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