Making Connections 1

A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts

Usually, when I write about “making connections,” I’m referring to connecting ideas. Today, I’m writing about making connections with people, and about building relationships.

In spite of my outgoing roles as teacher, trainer, and public speaker, I’m a bit of an introvert, more comfortable holed away in the quiet space of my office than standing in front of a roomful of people. You could even say I’m a homebody. And connecting with people on a superficial level — meetings, classes, parties, and “networking” — exhausts me. That doesn’t mean I don’t like meeting or being around people. If that were true, I wouldn’t love teaching or get excited about exchanging ideas as much as I do. It’s just that these interactions take energy.

Connecting with others, whether you’re introverted or extroverted, takes effort, to different degrees depending upon whether you’re naturally a “people person” or an “idea person.”

This week’s journaling prompts invite you to explore the topic of making connections on a personal level:

1. Do you enjoy meeting and connecting with new people? If so, do you prefer face-to-face or virtual interactions, such as that offered by social media.
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2. In what ways, if any, do you stretch outside your comfort zone in order to connect with others?
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3. What does it take for you to make a superficial connection? What about a deep connection? Which is easier for you, and why do you think this is?
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4. Freewrite for ten minutes on “connecting vs. building a relationship.” Is there a difference?
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5. In general, what type of climate do you create in your interactions with other people (warm, calm, task-oriented, intellectual)? Consider the climate you create in your interactions at home, work, clubs, and at other places, like the grocery store. Does the quality of your side of the interaction change, depending upon the situation?
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6. How do you counteract or respond to difficult interactions (i.e. confrontation, avoidance), and how do your reactions affect your ability to develop the kinds of connections you’d like to make? Do you stay in control or do you let others control you?
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7. If you were to change one thing about the way you connect with and build relationships with others, what would it be and why?

In this age of unlimited communication between people, being aware and in control of how and whether we connect with others seems more important than ever.

What do you think? And what kind of connections are important to you?
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Photo by Dell Photos