NO MAN IS AN ISLAND

"No man is an island," - at least so said John Donne, but do we behave like that? Does modern life encourage us to be inter-connected in the way that we once were.

As a GP I see lots of people for advice about very minor things. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind, it's my job, but not too long ago these weren't things that people would have asked their GP. They would simply have asked a parent, grand-parent or other family elder who would probably have been living with or near them. Families separate from each other more frequently now and have to cope on their own. Maybe this will change again as young people can't afford to buy or rent a house and are forced to remain in the nest for longer.

I was inspired to write this piece when I noticed that my number of followers on Linkedin is just about to top 400 and my Twitter followers reached 150. What does connectedness really mean to us? Do we really use the connections that we have? More importantly, do we really nurture them?

Obviously we interact with them in different ways. On my personal Twitter account @michellebuist you'll likely find me analysing the latest episodes of Casualty or EastEnders and singing the praises of favourite characters with fellow fans. On our business account @NLP4MEDICS we'll keep you up to date with what we're up to and share stuff of interest in the world of NLP and medicine. On Linkedin I'll post interesting and thought provoking comments in the groups I belong to and have made lots of contacts through doing so. I like to read what others have written and respond to that too. Again I've "met" many like-minded people through doing so. We then share ideas and get inspiration from each other. A real win-win scenario. It's not about what you get from connecting, it's about what you contribute and how you add value to the other person's world.

In the real world, do we really take enough time to nurture our connections? When did you last tell someone how much they meant to you? I'm not suggesting you do this in a creepy stalkerish way to everyone you know, that would be weird...... but we all take lots of people we know for granted and maybe it's time for a change.

So today, make a point of telling someone how much you appreciate them. See what happens. I think you'll be glad you did. Just think how much it would mean if someone did that to you.......
Have a great week. See you Monday.
Michelle