Here's an Investment that Outpaces the S&P500

I recently had a great conversation with Ryan Walker, a friend and a local organizational leader (you can watch it here). And, we had a blast! We started off by talking about the power of self-deprecating humor, para-social relationships, and how he changed his life by finding community.

As we were talking, there was a moment where Ryan shared a story about a very lonely season he had. And when he asked himself what he needed to do to improve his life, he kept stumbling on the answer of community. But, he also found himself spending his time doing solo activities.

Did you know that when you find yourself in a lonely season of life, more than likely the reason your lonely is because you’re investing your time in other things instead of social connection?

This often can come as something we didn’t choose. For instance, if you break your leg, you’re going to have a hard time showing up to the tennis league that fills your social battery. Or if you lose a loved one, you may not have the emotional bandwidth to be a listening ear when your friend vents about work.

But sometimes we do have the choice of how we’re spending our time. And it’s in moments like these where you have to intentionally budget time for social connection.

This can look differently for everyone but for you it may mean putting connect with others on your calendar every Thursday evening. And when Thursday evening comes, you show up to a community event that you’ve never been to, to meet people you’ve never seen, and build relationships that you would have never thought of.

Or maybe this means putting reconnect with others on your calendar every Sunday morning. And when Sunday morning comes along, you call your friend from college, your coworker that you knew well from your former job, and your aunt that you haven’t seen since Christmas. Spend some time maintaining the relationships you already have because you have them for a reason and most of the time it’s a good one.

Want to know why this matters? It matters because we are wired for connection and if we don’t have it then we began to operate in a deficit. And this deficit won’t keep itself compartmentalized, it’ll spread to your mental health, your physical health, and your financial health.

But if you invest your time in social connection, you’ll receive opportunities, make best friends, and build stories that matter.

Connections create opportunity - opportunities create connection.