Authentic Connections
I had a bit if a rant on social media about what I like to call ‘sales vampires’ - the people who seem to want to connect with you but in fact only want to pepper you with platitudes to sell you their new 10k or 10x program to make you a billionaire or some such bullshit….ya….it was a rant but it clearly struck a chord and did garner some spicy conversation! (I like the spice!).
So this got me thinking about the deeper meaning of being authentic and truly showing up as who you are - whether you are online all the time like me or networking in person or going to a BBQ and meeting new folks or even grocery shopping and talking to the clerk - we all show up in some version of ourselves
Life can be a fuzzy warm blanket or a sad wet towel and depending on the season you are in you may not actually realize how your behaviour is showing up - which is fine as long as you are being authentic and not some other form of rude-dude
So what am I talking about?
Well - an authentic connection is a genuine connection with someone else — dropping the facade, showing vulnerability and sharing one's true self
When you open yourself up to authentic connections you will feel rewarded and you will develop a deeper sense of meaning and purpose to your life
As humans we are adept at wearing masks, building facades to protect ourselves, but at our core we naturally crave interaction and connection with others
When we show our vulnerability and share our true self with someone else we are opening our world up to share with them
When you can listen and sit in another person’s space, showing interest and connecting with their emotions you begin creating an authentic connection, listening deeply and without motive
Here are a few tips to build more authentic connections:
Create space for another and just be
Listen deeply & pay attention to non-verbal communication
Be curious and interested, ask what else and is there more
Be emphatic and attuned to their experience
Don’t try and fix and listen without motive
“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”
— Brené Brown, Storyteller, Author