How often are we too connected to things that don’t matter? More importantly how often are we too connected to the things that matter most? It is the great struggle of imbalance each one of us face today. The scales constantly teeter from one side to the other.
In Georgia, this time of year means Fall Break. It’s everyone’s last chance to enjoy summer temperatures before the coolness of fall creeps in. For most, that means “disconnecting.” Disconnecting from the distractions of life. The things that separate what we ARE too connected to from the things that we SHOULD BE too connected to.
In life and leadership, there is the good, the bad, and the ugly of being too connected. Here they are in reverse order:
The Ugly
Too often we are too connected to things that don’t matter. Most of the time, it translates directly to the device you may be reading this very blog on. Endless scrolling on social media, wasting precious time that could be spent on the good. Feeds filled with fake happiness, that generates comparative envy, that can steal our joy.
Surfing the web on waves of endless negativity filled with politics, drama, bad news, and provocative headlines. We finally set the device down expecting fulfillment, only to find our emotions drained and strained. News pundits, athletes, and politicians attempting to impose and influence our independent thought, dividing us from our neighbors.
Being too connected to our devices exposes us to the ugly of the world.
The Bad
I strategically used the word imbalance in the introduction. Work-life balance is what we are expected to achieve. I do not believe that is attainable, much less sustainable.
As we go further in leadership, this is a tension to be managed. We will manage it, or it will manage us. It’s something we should wrestle with daily.
Be weary of anyone that tells you they have achieved work-life balance. The ones that do it best, understand it is a work-life imbalance.
The reality is that our careers matter. They produce the necessary revenue to place roofs over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food on the table. The salaries we earn give us the ability to create experiences that generate Unforgettable Memories. Memories that are permanently etched into the hearts and minds of those that matter most.
The key is having the awareness to know when things are out of balance. Knowing when we are too connected to our careers. Awareness that reverses the scales in favor of the good.
The Good
We should always strive to be guilty of being too connected to people. People matter most in life and leadership. Our families and the people we lead are the legacies that we will send on to generations we will never see.
We stay connected through presence. It creates genuine and authentic relationships. True presence requires being free of ugly distractions and the imbalance caused by the bad.
No doubt…being present is tough. The busyness of our worlds can easily leave us physically present and attentively distant. We can be THERE, without being THERE. Presence leads to the good of being too connected.
Conclusion
When all is said and done, we will be judged by our love and care for people. Love and caring for another human being is the ultimate good. It disrupts our connection to the ugly and swings the scales of the bad towards the good.
What does loving and caring for the people that mean the most to us look like? It looks like being kind, empathetic, forgiving, understanding, supportive, and encouraging. Loving and caring people breathe life into others, not rob them of it.
Were we the ones that ran into the storms of people’s lives when everyone else walked out? Did we believe in them more than they believed in themselves? Did we see the good in them, despite the bad and the ugly?
Are we JUST connected to the people we love and care for or…are we TOO connected? When it comes to those that mean the most, we can never be too connected.