WHAT?
The September challenge >>>
Kindness and Connections
Make a meaningful connection with one person every day...
WHY?
Tell me more...
Social connections have been shown to be the single biggest predictor of our health and happiness. And social isolation can be as damaging to our health as smoking or obesity.
This month we're challenging you to build on your existing relationships and make new connections. You'll be able to feel first hand the benefits of increasing the frequency and quality of these social relationships.
This month is also a bit of a double whammy in that, in addition to being good for you, making connections, talking and listening to others is good for them too. They receive all the same emotional and physical benefits of increased social connection that you do. So there is an awesome multiplier effect at work here.
This challenge is a real feel good way to end the year and the more you put in, the more you, and others, will get out!
HOW?
The basics
Each day throughout September, talk to, text, message or write to one person, who you've not seen or spoken to for at least a month.
As with most of the challenges in Revolution Twelve, it's up to you how to interpret the specifics of this challenge, but here are our suggestions:
- Send a message: scroll through your contacts, pick someone you've not been in touch with recently and ping them a message.
- Make a phone call: Actually pick up the phone and talk to someone.
- Write a letter: More involved, but such a rare joy to recieve a personal letter through the post box for your recipient.
- Speak to a stranger: Strike up a conversation on the train, in a queue or anywhere really.
It's up you of course how brief or in depth a text message is. Or whether a letter is an update of your own life right now, or a more personal gratitude letter. And we would argue that a brief, "hello, how are you doing" doesn't cut the mustard when it comes to speaking to a stranger. We're looking for authentic, intentional conversation here...
Take it a bit further...
We realise that some days you won't have time to write a beautifully penned letter or that you simply won't have the chance to accost a willing stranger, so the send a message idea is hopefully quite an easy way to fulfil the challenge. At the very least it will let someone know you're thinking of them, but more likely it will spark a conversation or reignite an old friendship...
The more initially uncomfortable, but certainly more rewarding suggestion we think, is to speak to a stranger. For us, this means having a reasonably in depth conversation with someone - listening to what they have to say and hopefully making some meaningful connection.
Here a some quick tips about how to initiate a conversation with a stranger.
- Smile! Make eye contact and offer a smile. Picking up on open friendly body language is often the first step to making a connection and it may lead to more with surprisingly little effort.
- Notice. Pick a common thing in your environment which you can both see or a shared experience and mention it. That cat on the bus stop roof, the train being late again, or better yet, a compliment - I love your shoes!...
- Disclose. Sounds scary, but it doesn't have to be. It can actually be easier to share quite intimate things with a complete stranger.