What You've Been Missing....

The Recipe for Real Connection I turned 41 about a month ago, and to my surprise, it's quickly becoming a good year. I attribute it to three things, pursuing my why, increasing my self-awareness, and being unforgivably myself. I'm a really focused and highly motivated entrepreneur who has a love affair with investing time and money into ventures that solve social problems. I'm also the sum of my forever evolving thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. "I am," comes with a cost. Have you ever experienced moments of loneliness in a room filled with people that love you or just admire you? This was my reality for a very long time until I found the missing ingredient. The Problem How can someone be lonely surrounded by the people that love him or her. Its complicated, difficult to put into words, or is it just that people love and admire what we want them to see. That was my problem, I never let anyone in close enough to know the real me. I'm just saying it's possible some people go through life feeling alone because they are afraid to show people who they are, what they're going through, what they're feeling, or share their thoughts for fear of being rejected or judged. Missing Ingredient Finding real connection doesn't require sharing your deepest darkest secrets or embarking on a spiritual trek to far off lands to discover the missing ingredient. You don't have to stop pursuing your why either or sacrifice your values. It just requires a little vulnerability. I realized I was missing out on opportunities for real deep connections with people I cared about and cared about me, which was creating a void in my life. Sharing my Recipe Don't apologize for pursuing what you love. My life has become so much more interesting since making this change. Life is too short to not pursue your why. I facilitate a business plan writing workshop a couple times a week in a prison. And I can honestly say, it's two of the most enjoyable days of my week. Get away from distractions for an hour and think about some of the decisions you've made. Analyze what you were feeling at the time, what your thoughts were, and decide if your decisions are aligning with your values. Let's not forget the most important ingredient to successful relationships is vulnerability. Dare to show people the greatest version of you. I know it's working for me, so don't be afraid to give it a try. Here's someone that got it right, "What Are We For? The words and ideals of Eleanor Roosevelt.