Musing on Connection
How connected do you feel? How about deeply connected?
If I were to ask you “how connected do you feel?” what would you say? You may say “connected to what?” Fair question. You might tell me that your internet connection is working fine, thanks. But what I’m curious about is how connected do you feel to yourself? How connected do you feel to others – or to the world around you?
Recently I’ve been pondering on the idea of deep connection. I’m someone who in my relationships, my friendships, my life, has a desire for a deep connection. I guess what I mean by that is talking about, and knowing about, the real stuff – really getting in amongst the juiciness of who someone is, what’s going on for them, what they feel. It’s probably no coincidence that this preference led me to be a coach (and also why I was a very intense teenager!).
When we talk about connection we are often talking about connection to other people. But what about the connection we have with ourselves? I know I find my relationships and friendships nourishing – some friends make me laugh, some make me think and others encourage and support me but I wonder if other people are the only source of that nourishment. What if that nourishment came from within ourselves or through something else entirely?
For me the outdoors, nature, woodland is very nourishing and in some way is a partner that helps me feel more connected to myself – and also more connected to the world around me.
When I slow down and pause in the woods I start to notice things. A fungus growing out of a tree stump, bright green moss on one side of a tree, a squirrel jumping high up in the branches... gradually rather than being a passer by I am part of it all – part of the unfolding scene and hidden intricacies. I feel really connected to what’s around me – and at the same time really in touch with my being.
In these moments I have a feeling of belonging – somehow nature allows me to be myself … I don’t need to be anything other than who I am when I’m in the woods, the hills or on a windswept beach.
Nature allows me to be myself. I don’t need to be anything other than who I am when I’m in nature.
These moments of feeling more connected and in tune with myself lead me to wonder what other routes there might be to enable me to enjoy a richer sense of connection with myself.
People often talk about “channeling creativity” and I’ve always been curious about that. What is it that we are channeling exactly… is it part of ourselves or are we in connection with something else? Creating music too seems to connect many with something special within. It’s interesting to me that no one really thinks twice about it when someone talks about channeling their creativity but if you talked about channeling, say, humour or wisdom, people might write you off as a bit of a fruit loop.
Or maybe not?
I’d love to hear what do you think – what is it that makes you feel deeply connected?
Warm wishes
Sarah
P.S. I’m joining forces with my coaching colleague and buddy Kate at NEON who shares my curiousity in this topic and in the coming months we will be hosting some online conversations – an experimentation lab of sorts - to explore the idea of connection and what role nature and creativity (and anything else for that matter) might play in accompanying us in finding a deeper connection with ourselves. Who knows where the conversation will lead (into the woods or the studio perhaps…) but I’ve a feeling it could be magical!
If you’d like to be kept in the loop about it please either drop me a line at sarah@boldly-go.co.uk or sign-up to my e-alert.