The Lost Art of Connecting

The Lost Art of Connecting explores ways to build meaningful and genuine relationships in life by using the Gather, Ask, Do method and relying less on gaining benefits from networking, but rather on deepening your connection with other human beings and cultivating authentic emotions.

Oftentimes, people engage in conversations and try to network for purely transactional purposes. They think that they’ll eventually gain something from establishing a relationship with a certain individual, which is also a reason why they choose not to communicate with people that don’t possess anything of interest to them.

In a world where everyone strives to climb the social scale, relationships have become a tool, rather than an existential part of life. To break this vicious cycle, we’ll have to switch our focus to the most important part of a relationship: giving. When you try to offer people your help, they’ll be much kinder to you.

Everyone can feel when a relationship is superficial, which is often the result of a LinkedIn or Facebook befriending, or genuine, which mostly occur face to face. To break past the first layer, try to brainstorm a few ideas of how you can help the person next to you. Offer them something for free, be kind and generous, or simply ask them how you can be of use, without wanting something in return.

This way, your relationships will flourish, and you’ll get even more than if you were to engage in a transactional friendship. People remember those who are being nice to them and wish to repay the favor when the situation asks for it. Plus, your bonds will feel more authentic, and your social life will thrive!

A relationship always consists of at least two people who have to engage with each other and establish a bond. To strengthen that bond, you’ll need a starting point. Many people underestimate their network, thinking that socializing with new people starts from outside. However, considering how many friends each individual from your network has on their own, it could be a good starting point to try and expand from within your regular circle. This is where you Gather. Find people to connect to and genuinely look to form meaningful connections. At this stage, you might be surprised at how many connections you have! Once you’re in the process of forming meaningful connections, don’t be afraid to ask for help from your peers. Doing so will let them know that you trust them and that you don’t have a problem reaching out in times of need, which is what they’ll also do if the situation asks for it. When asking for help, you’ll want to be specific. Always bond your request to a…