Psychological Thriving
In his book, The Power of the Other . . . The Startling Effects Others Have On Us from the Bedroom to the Boardroom and Beyond and What to Do About It, Dr. Henry Cloud names four levels of connection for human interaction and engagement.
- Disconnection
- Bad Connection
- Fake-Good Connection
- Real Connection
He dives deep into sharing why “Real Connection” is the only place where true, authentic, psychological thriving happens. While his model is amazingly simple, it gives you a profound tool with which to measure the levels of connection you have with everyone and everything in your life. I highly recommend it.
Meaningful Levels
“I believe that our success is in direct correlation to how we impact and influence other people. And the secret to having more influence is not in our ability to communicate, but to connect. Master the art of connection, and you will go places you never thought possible. I know because I did.”
—Kelly Swanson
It is one thing to communicate, but something entirely different to connect on a deep and meaningful level. Reconnection is not just about being reunited and brought back together again, it is about connecting in a more intimate and authentic fashion.
8 Tips for Making Meaningful Connections
- Build trust and rapport.
- Be personable and friendly.
- Be genuinely interested in others.
- Become a discovery expert and ask questions.
- Take the initiative to be an inviter, the liker, and the host.
- Find commonality, camaraderie, and shared interests.
- Make others feel valued and important.
- Use humor to diffuse tension, shift energy, and feed laughter.
Powerful Practices for Deepening Bonds
Relationships are continually shifting and being redefined. In their book, Friendship Interrupted, my friend Judy Dippel and her co-author Debra Whiting Alexander, Ph.D., write, “At the core of every important and meaningful friendship is a close relationship that adjusts and compensates as needed.” They continue to advise, “To stay healthy, relationships require plenty of attention and commitment.” To reconnect and make relationships more meaningful, they encourage you to practice.
- Patience—Patience in action can be a tremendous gift.
- Encouragement—It can rekindle hope and soothe the spirit.
- Acceptance— Genuine acceptance brings grace and mercy.
- Respect— Allows you to interact and engage appropriately.
- Loyalty— Faithful friends are unwavering.
- Laughter— Stimulates a natural sense of camaraderie.
- Service— A thriving friendship can’t help but produce good works, and in doing so strengthens bonds.
Motivational Keynote Speaker and Change Expert Susan C. Young helps organizations leverage the power of Change & Resilience to Boost Positivity, Improve Engagement and Transform their Teams to make a POSITIVE IMPACT in life and business. This is an excerpt from her new book, Release the Power of Re3 . . . Review, Redo & Renew for Positive Change & Transformation. To learn more, please visit www.SusanCYoung.com or www.amazon.com/author/susancyoung.
