The Importance of Celebrations and Connections, Plus 6 Simple Ways to Keep Them Charged

It’s hard to believe that we are into the first week of November and nearing the finish line of 2018. October is officially out of order until the next year and we welcome the start of a new month. As I reflect back, the month for me was one of celebrations and connections. It’s true that October has always been my favorite month of the year (I might be biased for personal reasons), but in 2018, the time was super special. Along with celebrating festivities of a birthday, anniversary, Thanksgiving and Halloween, I also celebrated my sister’s wedding along with a high school reunion. The month was no doubt bursting with oodles of love, laughter, and joy, that my heart was overflowing and full of smiles.

Spending time with family and friends, meeting new people, plus reconnecting with old friends and colleagues got me thinking how valuable connections are to fueling us with spurts of happiness in our daily lives. Relationships provide us with a sense of belonging to a group and are a therapeutic-support system. Whether it’s daily chit chat, a long overdue catch up, sharing laughs, or advice exchanges, human connections are a solid base for happiness and well-being. Plus studies show that social connection is a greater determinant to health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure.

In today’s tech savvy world where it’s easier to connect more than ever with social media platforms, email and text, there are few excuses left that keep us from holding on to those connections. Nurturing our relationships doesn’t have to involve a full-fledged affair or celebration event. There’s no need to wait for a birthday, wedding or funeral. It can be small simple acts with minimal time commitment. Often it’s not just about the conversation but the connection that is being made that is the most important. How many times have you grinned when you received an unexpected call or message from someone out of the blue? Once the connection happens, the conversation will follow.

Now I know what some may be thinking: “life gets in the way”, “I have no time”, or “my  friend is probably too busy”. You don’t need to over-complicate it. And for last excuse, please don’t make assumptions.

Here are a few simple ideas to keep that connection charged:

1. Send a quick message to a friend when you think of them. Just say hello, and ask how they’re doing. The universe is sending you signs when you randomly think of someone. (This happens to me all the time! I think of someone and then shortly after I either run into them or I would hear from them).
2. Did you remember a special or funny memory that you shared with someone? Send them a quick note (or better yet a picture) to see if they recall the moment. Who doesn’t love to reminisce and think of the good old days?
3. Carve out some time in your schedule to set up a coffee or lunch date. Even if it’s only for one hour. Plan in advance and add to your calendar so you will have something to look forward to and less likely to cancel after you’ve committed.
4. Do you think a particular restaurant, book or place etc., is one that your friend will like? Send them the recommendation. I’m sure they would appreciate the suggestion and that you thought of them.
5. Make it a convenient catch-up. Are you going to be in a particular area at a certain date and have some time to spare? Then reach out to that friend and let them know that you’ll be around and would love to meet up for a coffee or drink.
6. Pass on positive praise. Everyone loves compliments, and it has double the impact when it’s unexpected. If someone in your life has made a positive impact or has been doing amazing things, then let them know.

Side note: I know with Facebook and Instagram you can accomplish some of these, but my advice is to send a private message instead of posting or commenting publicly. The connection can be more authentic, and your friends will share more if it’s not public.

One important thing to keep in mind when connecting is don’t expect too much after you reached out. That way you won’t be disappointed if the person you tried to contact does not respond or is too busy to connect. As the famous quote by Sylvia Plath goes: “If you expect nothing from anybody, you’re never disappointed.”  Life does get busy and honesty you don’t know the complete story if you never hear back from someone. It happens. I’m guilty of it, but doesn’t mean I didn’t appreciate the person thinking of me. It still brought a smile to my face and happiness to my life. Think of it this way, with you making the effort to reach out, you sprinkled a bit of happiness to your friend, and that can still have a positive effect for both of you.

I hope you find ways to celebrate not only the big moments but also the little ones to help keep your connections alive while adding joy to your life. Don’t underestimate the power of the people in your circle to bring you laughter, advice and their perspective to your story of life. Whether it be deep, thought provoking conversations which inspires you to take action, life lessons that bring tears, or simple conversations that produce belly-aching laughs, embrace and celebrate those connections.

How do you maintain and celebrate your connections? Any strategies that worked for you? Share them below.