Surviving Or Thriving

Connection requires effort. Ignored, it starts to erode. The result can be individual isolation.

We need the security and comfort of connection. Sharing and caring are at the core of our emotional security.

We are all unique in our individuality but, at the same time, there is so much we have in common with those around us.

That means creating an environment where we are comfortable with our own vulnerability.

To get, we have to give. Those who withhold are doing little more than adding to their own burden.

The difficulty is that it’s necessary to risk pain to receive comfort. The two go hand-in-hand. Only through honesty and practice is it possible to determine the degree of either. And, even then, it becomes necessary to decide if we are to set limits.

We know our own limits. But that is no excuse to avoid testing those limits in the interest of growing and maturing.

The most important of connections is connection to self. The prospect can be daunting. We may be able to sidestep the perceived intrusion of others. It may be possible to ignore the outside noise but we live with the noise inside of us.

The good news is that we have the power to control both the volume and the persistence of what we are hearing and experiencing internally.

The possibilities, however, are remote if we remain disconnected from the person we know ourselves to be. Persistence is as necessary as perception. Honesty trumps all.

Connection is linked with change and change is an essential component of survival.

Survival alone is not enough. Responsibility for the rest remains with the individual.