Talking about values is something I am used to coming from my background of stretchy pants and smiling girls and goal coaching and endless talk of inspiration. It is something I relate to in class when we talk about the core values of a company or when I read business articles about empowering employees to be more productive, or how to effectively delegate. I have toyed with a list of my own core values for a long time. Today I realized in full force that when it comes down to it I have one that stands out, one that encompasses all others. It is my Core value. Connection.
Integrity, leadership, family, courage, love, learning, entrepreneurship, these all follow a common thread of connectedness to place, people and ideas.
There is something to be said about instant connection. Sometimes it happens to us out of nowhere, like seeing a pod of killer whales from the side of the ferry before everyone else does, it is both extremely rare and extremely precious, a sign that the world is still working in mysterious and exciting ways. There are those of us who see this everywhere, deem every chance meeting as an otherworldly sign of great and significant long-term connection. I don’t doubt that we can learn from and interact with all those that we encounter but those true friendships don’t come with every introduction, in my mind. On the other extreme I have come across those who don’t believe in instant connection, love at first sight, best friends in a matter of minutes or even hours.
I do. I have a dearest friend. My golden girl, I met her in just such a way. There was no reason for us to inspire each other, to connect so deeply, to ‘get it’ right off the bat. But we did. It happens to me from time to time and just kind of know, this is going to be good. This is going to be someone I can call in the middle of the night when my boyfriend breaks my heart, this is someone I can call at work to celebrate even the smallest accomplishments. Distance hasn’t posed a problem for my golden girl and I even with an entire expanse of mountain, prairie and Canadian Shield flung out between us. It is a bond that lasts longer than weeks of telephone and text message tag. We are kindred spirits.
Often my biggest challenge is being patient and open to waiting for these connections and appreciating what comes between. It is easy to be optimistic, to grasp at straws and what ifs. Making what just isn’t there into more than it is. It is easy to crave this connection more than it is available to us. I find it happens all the time and that is fine. If we were deeply connected to everyone around us life might be exhausting. I find these days with so much excitement, so many new people to meet, I have to stop and take a breath sometimes. I have to try to let it all flow more naturally instead of forcing things where they are not. In the end there are people that it just clicks with immediately and those who will likely be friends and acquaintances for a long time going forward but maybe nothing more. And that’s ok. That is important too.
Luckily I have had a few instant connections lately. It was bound to happen with the sheer volume of people I have been meeting. Some are old connections that were always there but are newly renewed, across mountains and provinces. As ever I am blessed that my life is filled with so many amazing and inspiring people. People who are brave enough to say what’s really going on and who ultimately are brave enough to create a space where I will, often grudgingly, do the same. I am not sure what I am hoping to get out of this basic explanation of what moves me. I feel a little worn down at the end of this long day and my head keeps telling me this is just going to get worse and worse. I am excited for what is to come but also nervous. What will get us through, what will make this a year that we wont soon forget, is the connections we make.
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