Starting inward and moving outward
Hello and welcome!
Today, we’re going to explore the first area of the CARE Framework —Connection.
It’s all about inner connection, mind-body connection, relationships, connection with your community, connection with nature and non-human beings, and spiritual connection, whatever spiritual may mean to you.
When I think about Connection, I imagine grounding in it, getting comfortable with it, starting from your inner connection and then moving outward.
Going Inward
Awareness is at the heart of inner connection and is also a key element of creating and embracing change.
Awareness is the first step that opens you to choices and paths of possibility.
Awareness means exploring your inner world by asking yourself questions (and listening to the answers!) and establishing a mind-body connection by noticing your body’s messages.
This is where you start asking, “How am I feeling?”, “What do I want/need?”, and “What does my body want/need?”
Without taking the time to reflect upon these questions, we would go through life in an automated way, possibly misaligned and unfulfilling.
Connection is a stage where we go inward, maybe underground, as a seed that needs to be in the dark to be able to root. I associate this inner journey with the Fall, a time when we start walking toward the darker time of the year while we tend the soil for new beginnings, and our energy still allows for interactions.
Moving Outward
The second, more outward-facing aspect of connection is about interactions and nurturing relationships, which are crucial to feeling sustained.
As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, Lisa Feldman Barrett’s Seven And A Half Lessons About The Brain highlights the significant influence of our social connections on our brain’s structure, function, and overall health. When relationships are supportive, they contribute to longer, healthier lives. Instead, persistent loneliness can lead to earlier sickness and even death.
In fact, all the people I talked with while developing the Framework told me that their relationships (friendships, business connections, love relationships, etc.) are vital elements that help them actualize their vision and take care of themselves.
Feeling supported by other people, having great friendships and communities to interact with, and having the chance to share experiences, brainstorm, collaborate on projects, and co-work were all examples those people mentioned.
Furthermore, some of them mentioned how, on the other hand, the feelings of loneliness and disconnection have a negative impact on their effectiveness and well-being.
Other Ways To Connect
The other “flavors” of Connection can look different for each of us, including the people I talked with, and can change throughout life.
For example, for me, connecting with nature currently means taking the time to be in nature in a place that is as little urban as possible and isn’t crowded by loud humans, where I can touch the grass, hug the trees, and feel my interconnectedness to the whole earth and beings.
When I can’t go in nature, I listen to nature sounds, but some kind of connection to nature must be present to keep me going.
The Key Element
The thing is, the people I talked with and I wouldn’t know what we need to feel good and supported if we hadn’t stopped to notice, which brings us right back to awareness and connection.
All these years as a coach and self-reflecting human being taught me that’s where everything starts (and that’s exactly where we start in my coaching program, too).
Once we’ve grounded in connection, we can start centering and growing roots in Alignment. We’ll explore that next week.
Start (Re)Connecting
Meanwhile, I have a couple of reflection prompts to encourage your inner connection:
How do you foster Connection these days?
Is there anything that you’d love to do more of to support this area?
Is there anything you’d love to do less to support this area?
If you feel like it, share your reflections in the comments!
With care,
Giada
🍁 Connection Inspiration
Some posts that inspire interesting reflections about Connection.