The only thing that should stop you from going to the hole is someone off the no-fly list. Otherwise, when you see a gap, get down hill in a hurry. When you see an opportunity to connect, reach out quickly.
Relationships begin and thrive on connection. So connect. When you think of someone, like the person that just popped into your head, reach out to them. That’s it.
Don’t miss out on richer relationships cause you forgot. Reach out as soon as you think about it. If you must, take a note in the way that is most likely for you to remember. If you forget, you'll never reach out to them. If you don't reach out to them, you'll never connect with them. If you never connect with them, then you won’t maintain the relationship.
Don’t miss out cause you couldn’t pick a way to reach out. Do it in the way that’s easiest for you. If that’s sending a text, you could be done by the time you’re finished reading this. If that’s a call, you could have reached out before you lay your head on that pillow tonight. Even if you’re the most elite letter writer in the league, that joint could be in your person’s hand by the end of the week.
Don’t miss out cause you couldn’t think of what to say. If appropriate, say exactly why you thought of them. “Hey so-and-so, I thought of you because of ____”. Just be honest. Like with anything else, reduce friction by making it ridiculously simple.
Now I’m not advocating for boundary breaching or any other devious behavior. Leave people on your no-fly list (people who you shouldn’t or don’t want to be connected with) alone. I don’t know you and your story, but if you keep thinking about someone on this list, you might need to talk to someone.
In the process of putting this together, I thought about Kendall’s text, Trevon telling me how he reaches out to people, and Ms. Karnella’s advice to let people know you’re thinking about them.
If I’m the Jared I say I am, I’ll have already reached out to these folks by the time you read this.
If you’re the reader I know you are, you might find the courage to make it happen too.
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