22 Mar Connections – and why it matters more in a world of isolation

Connections

Many week ago – almost a lifetime ago – I started a series on Connections.

I had a reason: I was worrying about a very tight flight ‘connection’ that I would be making en route a flight to India.
Today I am reversing that journey. And it is still about connections.

But so much as exploded in the definition in a world that is dealing with Covid-19.

Why I care about signs, signals and connections

I live in a world of signs and signals. I am always reading ahead, scanning the world for outliers, clusters, trends.
But none of these mean anything if you cannot, do not, or choose not to ‘connect the dots’.

That is why connections figure so largely in my life.

Synonyms

But the past weeks have thrown a number of other analogies, references and synonyms for Connections:

• Making a travel connection – especially one with very little room for a missed connection or a delayed flight
• Connecting – as in networking – to discover others who are like you, or who like you
• Ensuring human connections in a world of physical isolation due to Covid-19
• Making the connection between the material and the learning as so many classes & communities go online
• Developing a community of trust as managers connect with their online dispersed workforce
• How religious organizations are learning to re-connect to their congregations
• Sharing a world of family connections with our younger family members as they discover a world outside the online
• Discovering the connection of symptoms so that they can work on more prevention
• Connecting the tiny habits that are within our control that can contribute to helping us flatten the curve

I am sure you can come up with many more.

Connections matter more in a world of isolation

In the longitudinal Harvard study of Adult Development, a key discovery was the connection between happiness and … well .. connection.  Close relationships matter. Whether they are with immediate family, or a broader social circle.

The resulting sense of well-being improves our optimism, immunity and overall health.

If ever there was a reason for us to invest in the developing virtual communities that improve our connectivity, this is it!

There will soon be a new normal

Tell me which of these connections you would like to me to expand on for our next discussion.

Till then, stay connected!