Chapter 4 Connecting Always Requires Energy

Key Points in Chapter 4:

If you want to connect with others, you must be intentional about it.

They get out of it what you put in.

How John connect during a church reunion. 

1. Searching for reminders of our time together; 2. Working to remember their names; 3. Trying to make them feel special; 4. Making my visit personal for as many people as possible; 5. Going out of my way to spend extra time with people; 6. Sharing my mistakes during the sermon; 7. Acknowledging them as part of my success; 

Four Unpardonable Sins of Communicator: Unprepared, uncommitted, uninteresting, or uncomfortable; The key is missing ENERGY.

Five Proactive Way to Use Energy for Connecting:

1. Connecting Requires Initiative - Go First

Remember the person who are first to help in your life, are you grateful for him?

The wise does at once and the fool does at last.

2. Connecting Requires Clarity - Prepare

Know Yourself First. Make yourself more valuable, you can't give something you don't have. Therefore grow yourself.

Know Your Audience.

Know Your Stuff - Professional Preparation.  

3. Connecting Requires Patience - Slow Down

4. Connecting Requires Selflessness - Give

The giver teaches out of love, grace, gratitude, compassion, passion and the overflow. The teaching then, becomes a gift. It fills renews. 

Also the speakers need to maintain "the illusion of the first time", also give all your energy as if the presentation is the first time.

5. Connection Requires Stamina - Recharge

Know the things you like to do and find time for it.

Reflection on this chapter

This Chapter is all about energy. It is very fascinating to know that connecting requires so much energy and even listening to someone needs a lot of energy. No wonder why when you came home after a long day of work, you just do not feel like talking to your spouse or families, which could be very bad for yours connections with family members. 

I also learned the importance to be prepared before your connection and there are so many things we need to do before hand. When doing a presentation, give it your utmost best each time.

After reading this chapter, I realized the importance of managing my energy and how to do it in a better way.