There is a quote by Hellen Keller that says, “Alone, we can do so little. Together, we can do so much.”

There is a quote by Hellen Keller that says, “Alone, we can do so little. Together, we can do so much.”

When we say together, we mean, it's the art of building and bringing all of us collectively in one space; different shapes, different forms, with imperfections, with weaknesses, but all of us have one thing in common...

...we all are beautiful and courageous.

When we talk about human connection, we seek:

Vulnerability
Openness
Honesty
Integrity
True belonging
Compassion, and
Love

It's the gift you give someone by listening them, by seeing them and for accepting them for who they are.

As Brene Brown says; "True connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship."

We as human beings are psychologically driven to depend on each other, primarily our need to belong. We need to belong to our group, we were not meant to live individual lives. We all want to have that space where we feel:

Safe
Liberated, and
Belong...

...but we still fear that connection

We still fear this deep rooted feeling inside ourselves, 'the fear and shame' of rejection, which make us armoured, so much so that we don't let ourselves open fully. As the adage says, "A ship in port is safe, it looks safe; but that's not what ships are built for." The only way to nurture a true connection, with the nourishment of:

Trust
Openness, and
Vulnerability

is to,

Show Up,
Being Courageous, and
Be Authentically You.

When we show up authentically, when we let ourselves be seen; we walk into our fears. We let go of what we 'think' we are supposed to be; and we become who we are, we embrace ourselves for being the imperfect, fathomable, flawed human being we are, and we understand that all human are equally flawed, imperfect and yet beautiful...

...we walk 'towards' each other. We come 'together.'

Coming together is about:

Every human connection
Every community
Every workplace
Every leader that supports, listens and sees their team
Every organisation that welcomes new ideas and creativity
Every organisation that is courageous, that involves people in decision-making by reducing hierarchy
Every businesses that is driven by 'purpose'

Coming together is the realisation that it's going to be,

Complicated and Beautiful
Possibly Uncomfortable and Fearful, and
Compassionate and Courageous

Connection doesn't happen on its own.

It's hardwork.
It's the gift we give to both ourselves and to another human being.
It requires us to be compassionate with ourselves and with others, especially when we think we don't deserve it.
It's the willingness to show up, to be seen, and to live bravely.
It's the way we design our gateways of connection, which comes with the power of openness, the power of vulnerability and the power of being courageous by walking into our fear and shame; embracing the connections we want to create.

We can't wait for people to be kind first, to be their authentic selves before us or to start a conversation. As Brene Brown says, "The people who are being persecuted are not responsible for building the table where the conversation will take place."

It starts with You. We. Us.

When we discover true human connection, we come together to see each other and our true selves, acknowledging that we are not perfect, but are still a work in progress; reforming by falling apart and coming back together.

Priya Parker who is a facilitator, strategic advisor, acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters and the host of the New York Times podcast, Together Apart says,

"I invite people to leave outside the doors those parts of their lives and work that are going great. We're interested in the half-baked parts. We're interested in the parts you're still figuring out. We're not interested in their preplanned speeches but rather in the words and thoughts still forming."

If you are a leader in an organisation, now more than ever you will be required to be vulnerable, to be open to the idea that your organisation is fundamentally a group of human beings; flawed, imperfect, seeking connection and belonging, as well as true purpose and meaning.

So let us come together in order to form a society or community, a place, a future for everyone that is compassionate, courageous and all about coming together as humans.