Never before have there been so many opportunities to network, learn, meet people or find your friendship tribe.
As women we are the most connected generation ever, and yet I still hear women saying they lack the confidence to ‘connect’. They feel isolated. They compare themselves to peers and feel inadequate.
Maybe I’m approaching this topic simplistically, but the point is simple. God knows the plans He has for us (Jer. 29:11). Whether we are in business, home management, ministry, volunteering, if you believe that you have been created for what you are currently putting your hands to, you will be successful. If not – time to get back to basics and determine if you are in fact fufilling the call of God on your life.
Knowing what you were born to do just makes life easier to navigate. It’s not rocket science, it’s ordained. It is not about our careers, our status, our home making abilities or ministry, it’s about having a deep understanding and confidence in the fact that we are doing what we have been gifted, qualified and purposed to do.
Having just spent 2 days in a major city I was troubled by seeing so many businesswomen alone walking precariously, dodging traffic, alone and head down looking at their phones. As I walked around trying to dispel this thought that women were isolating themselves, I looked into lunch time cafes, coffee stands and other eateries and to my heartache the same was true, women there eating, grabbing coffee alone.
Sitting on a bench I tried to think through what I was seeing and why I was troubled by what I was seeing. It began to dawn on me that these women were missing out on connecting, they were missing out on the most basic of human connections – relationships.
But we were never meant to do life alone. The quickest way to stagnate as women is to withdraw from spending time with women. Here are some thoughts:
- You may not have any networking events in your area – so start one. Grab a friend at lunchtime and eat your sandwiches together.
- Check your priorities and figure out where your girlfriend time sits – if it’s low down, move it up. You’ll be a better wife, mum, friend and career girl if you connect with other women.
- Look through your contacts and check out which of your friends you haven’t spoken to for a while and make arrangements to connect. You’ll be glad you did.
- Negotiate with your partner to have personal time out.
For me, once a month on a Saturday, I run an early morning breakfast for seven women in my world. My husband cooks for us then heads off for coffee and reading his newspaper. For two hours we women chat, share stuff and laugh and pray for each other.
I can’t begin to tell you how much these two hours has enriched my life over the years. To think that we eight women made space and planned to be with each other once a month is wonderful.
Some Basic Insights:
- People are designed to live in connection.
- Building confidence to socialise can be learned.
- We must approach relationships intentionally.
- We grow in confidence when we know we are walking in God’s plan for our life.
And finally – grab some quiet time and pray about the life course you are on. I hope it’s wonderful. If not get with some trusted girlfriends and figure out, prayerfully, how to re set your life compass.
Carol Pocklington is a Human Performance Accelerator. She has worked with Hugh Massie since 2001 as the DNA Behavior concept was conceived. She works with people and businesses worldwide. Her real-world application of behavioural insights, gives her the capability to serve as a business strategist, coach, mentor, and trainer. She is also a prolific blogger, a public speaker and author, specializing in human behavioural insights.
