It’s been a while since I’ve had a rant, today is that day.

In today’s world one of the ways we ‘connect’ is via the various social networking tools. We meet someone at an event, through a friend or see their profile and think “hmmm I would like to get to know this person, so I’ll send a connect request.”

Connect is defined as: to become joined; bring together or into contact so that a real or notional link is established.

What I see happening more and more is when individuals send me requests they don’t actually refer to how we know each other, where we’ve met or how we are connected. It’s the standard ‘Please add me to your network. Sometimes I accept, most times I don’t. Why? Because I equate it to going up to a stranger on the street and asking for their home address or phone number.  I’m also getting older, and sometimes meet quite a few people in a week in various ways, and don’t always remember the context. 

Maybe I’m old fashioned, when I decide I want to connect with someone,  I like to introduce myself, or at the very lest provide a context for why I’m introducing myself. As much as I would like to think I’m unforgettable, not everyone will remember who I am.

Don’t get me wrong I love technology and the ability it allows us to ‘connect’. What we have to remember is connection goes much deeper than clicking  ‘like’ or ‘accept’, there must be some skin in the game. A space for us to show up and reveal who we are to another. I find myself excited to connect with others because I know I’m going to discover something about who I am in their presence. We are all aspects of each other and I’m always curious to find out what that aspect is. We become the invitation for each other to grow and evolve.

I know for me, an invitation goes a lot further and feels more authentic when the person reveals something. It only takes a moment, are you willing?

Until the next time!