Reclaim the Moment

9BUILD RELATIONSHIPS to Outsmart the Dread of Isolation

“… the individual must rely on others to complete the picture of him of which he himself is allowed to paint only certain parts.”¹

– Erving Goffman, Interaction Ritual

I STUDY YOGA and work on staying in shape under the online instruction of an incredible yoga instructor I met pre-pandemic while overseas. Duncan Parviainen taught some powerful in-person classes that aligned my body and mind. He then pivoted brilliantly during the pandemic, creating an online community of devoted practitioners. He said something during an online class a couple years ago while talking about self-care that really resonated with me. He said, “In a society which profits off our self-doubt, one of the most rebellious things we can do is like ourselves.”

I agree. It starts with us. But as we will see in this chapter, we take it a step further and expand that feeling of empowerment when we allow the rebellious act we're engaged in to be one of connecting with other people. We end up finding ourselves in the process. Feeling isolated stunts progress. Relationship transforms it.

When we cultivate a feeling in the person across from us that they matter and that together we are part of something meaningful we discover a game-changing approach to teamwork and leadership. When we see people for who they are, for the qualities within them and not simply the attributes on the surface, we will bring a sense of real value to them. People, and the relationships ...