In computer networks, connectivity is key.  If your computer is not connected to a network, you are pretty limited.  The amount you can do is generally proportional to the nodes you can talk to.  This is the beauty and power of the internet.  Our work and personal lives are the same. We need people around us, some close and some farther away, to do great things.

Sure, there have been solitary geniuses who have made great impacts on the world, but even they had parents, mentors, nemeses and people surrounding them who amplified their work to the point we know of it today.  These are exceptions though.  We need our social networks, virtual and, more importantly, in reality.  The people who surround us make us better.  The magical synergies you hear about?  They are real.  Of course, it is very important to be somewhat selective about who you let in to the circle of trust.  Simon Sinek talks about this at length in his books.  And, if Jim Rohn is right and you are the average of the five people you surround yourself with, it is worth taking a few minutes, at the very least, trying to figure out who that should be.

Personally, I have only a few close friends, but keep thinking about how to broaden my circle.  I work remotely a lot of the time and know that I need to take advantage of the myriad meet-ups, neighbourhood activities and conferences that pop up.  Also, being a good neighbour and having a drink with the people that live around me would be a good thing as well.  I won’t get in to the culture of ignoring those in the next house that seems to be pervasive in suburbia, but I am at a loss to explain why we live so closely if we don’t want anything to do with being part of the collective.  It is bizarre.  Overall, I think we have lots of opportunity and need to take the time to be part of the community.  There are more benefits to the social aspect than what we get from simply paying our municipal taxes.  The opportunities abound, but we need to make the leap in to them with a broad smile and open mind.

Next, social media is a great builder / maintainer of bridges.  Facebook brought me back in touch with my now fiancée and also with friends from childhood that bring a lot in to my life.  Sure, you can sit back and be a Facebook voyeur or chronic complainer, but those are the interactions to avoid.  More rare are the positive people who bring value to your life.  Those are the keepers.  They make you think differently and creatively.  They make your life better.  While most will use social media to stay informed and try to drink from the fire hose, which I am guilty of myself, they could do better to focus their attention and start to make a difference for themselves and others.  I admit, this is not an easy thing to do with the massive amount of content being delivered and our limited number of hours in a day.  That is why we should be selective and try to limit our choices.  I know, this is heresy.  Choice is good!  But it isn’t always good.  It distracts us from ever getting in to subjects at depth, where we can create value.  Our focus is a limited resource and the quicker we realize that and work with it, the more we will be able to do.

Bottom line, take a minute to think.  Take a minute to realize who is around you and what they bring to the table.  If they take more than they bring, maybe it is time to assess why you keep giving them your time and energy.  Then, you can look around and see if you can bring more to others’ table.  That is the relationship you want and will make life so much better for everyone and enable you to make your own dent in the universe.