Human beings are naturally social creatures. We need to interact with one another for the sake of our own mental wellbeing. This is because when we become isolated and alone, we tend to let our thoughts get in the way, which can lead us down a deep hole of darkness and depression. Having a network of people in our lives allows us to stay connected, improving our mental stability and our overall quality of life. Human connection is something we crave yet can sometimes be difficult and complex in nature. Nevertheless, we must persist with forming such connections, despite the challenges we may face.

Throughout our lives, we make a multitude of connections. It might be making friends at school, meeting people through some sort of group activity (eg. Sporting teams, book clubs, etc.), meeting others at church, through work, or at an event. In the modern world, where technology has become central to communication, we can even connect with people online from all around the world. Mind, some of these interactions might just be a one off, or temporary, but they can assist us in working out the kinks of communication, and some may prove to be more constructive than others. We may, however, also connect with others who become a larger part of our lives. And we may reconnect with people who we have not seen in years. The realm of online communication is quite something.

When we meet new people, we often try to form a connection with them. Sometimes it may be a matter of asking a few questions, having a conversation, and getting to know each other. Sometimes you’ll want to keep in touch, others you might just not click. And then there are the times when you do, and you find you have a lot more in common with someone than you would have thought. That is something you can build upon, something that can form the foundations of a much stronger connection. It is times like these when we can find ourselves in awe of not only the ways in which life works, but also the uncanny similarities we share with others. Some connections can be truly incredible. They can change our lives for the better.

Maintaining connections is part and parcel of human life. In order to retain a decent social network, we must be able to navigate how to effectively sustain communication with those in our lives. Now this is not always easy to do, and sometimes a connection we have with someone may break down for any number of reasons. This may bring us to a point where we must evaluate whether it is worth salvaging it or taking it as a lesson and moving on. Sometimes this can be difficult to carry out as our judgement may be clouded by other thoughts and emotions that prevent us from thinking clearly. We might need to take some time to step back and allow time for this fog in our minds to dissipate, so that we can best assess the situation.

In these cases, we may find that a person was in our life to help us to discover something about ourselves, maybe to teach us a life lesson. They may exit stage left in our life story, but they can leave us with a valuable experience that changes our outlook on life so that we may become better people. This in turn helps us to grow and gain a greater understanding of human connection and life itself. For sometimes life’s most valuable lessons are taught in its harshest moments.

Building a social network of people you can rely upon is also essential to living a better life. Be they family, friends, work colleagues, or whomever else, it is important to have people around you who you can trust and talk to in good times and bad, throughout your highs and lows, and all that lies in between. The people who we surround ourselves with can have a resounding impact on our lives, potentially handing us little pearls of wisdom when we need it the most. They can make all the difference in ensuring we do not fall off the rails, nor dig ourselves into a deep dark hole. Even if we were to do this, it is these people that can pull us back up, bringing us back into the light.

Of course, sometimes we aren’t necessarily looking for connections when they occur. As I have mentioned before, life works in the most mysterious ways. Sometimes it will bring people into our lives unexpectedly. It may bring us together with someone who we may form one of our strongest connections with. Life has a funny way of bringing people together at the right time. Indeed, God also has perfect timing. There is a quote that goes:

“God’s has perfect timing: never early, never late. It takes a little patience and a whole lot of faith, but it’s worth the wait.”

This one struck a chord with me because it is so very true. In the fast-paced world of today, many of us lack patience. As they say, patience is a virtue, and good things come to those who wait. That does not mean the wait is going to be easy. Hell, it could be grueling. But by having faith and waiting with patience in hope of what is to come, incredible things can occur. I can say this with certainty because I have lived it. Through my own experience, I came to find something truly incredible, a connection unlike any other. It has changed my life for the better, and for that I am so incredibly grateful.