Aerial View:

• Intro thoughts

• Mindful Minute: We’re not lone wolves.

• Conscious Consumer: Son of a Tailor

• Quote of the day

• 3 key questions to reflect on

What’s up men, welcome back. Coming off a weekend of a lot of socializing. It was really energizing and quite frankly a lot of fun. I’ve forgotten how much of a boost connecting with others can provide.

So today, I want to look at the power of connection, and how the romanticized lone wolf lifestyle causes more harm than good.

Mindful Minute - We’re not lone wolves.

What’s the one thing that has gotten me out of every single rut I’ve ever been in? Connection.

Every time I have felt overwhelm, anxiety, stress, sadness, you name it, there’s been one constant solution: human connection. Whether it was throwing myself in conversation with a loved one, going into a coffee shop and sparking up a chat with a stranger, or just being in the company of another, there is real healing power in connecting.

The fastest way to pull yourself out of your own head and into the real world is by being present with another. Usually, it takes presence in an external environment to break the negative thought patterns in the internal environment. Next time you’re feeling heavier than usual and need to reset, give it a shot.

Now let’s look at why solitude is problematic from a progress and goal-pursuit perspective.

You don’t hear about too many successful lone wolves. Why? Because teams and camaraderie are essential to forward movement. Going it alone is near impossible. Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg- they all had partners.

Part of why having people in your corner, personally and professionally, is so important is because it allows for the sharing of energy. When we experience wins in solitude, we don’t have anyone to share the triumph with. So we just take those wins in stride and become desensitized to them, never celebrating them, never feeling their power. On the other hand, when we experience hardships in solitude, we have a tendency to dwell. Instead of just moving past them the way we do with the wins, we let the adversity weigh much heavier on the head. Funny how that works right. Without having someone to share the problems with, we allow them to surmount to more than they really are. From there we can’t move past them as efficiently, and halt our progress.

In my experience working with partners, the problems I historically overstressed about were really not that big of a deal at all, and my partners helped me come back down to Earth and approach them more rationally, both emotionally and tactically. This results in quicker solutions and a more efficient return back to status-quo operating.

At the end of the day, we can’t do everything with someone else. We need to have moments of utter independence. There is real strength and value in being able to operate alone, but choosing NOT to. 

But for the big picture agenda, building a tribe, finding allies, and connecting with others, is crucial. As leaders we must pull others in, let the walls down, and authentically connect. Don’t believe the dogma around needing to be guarded and keeping things close to the vest. We’re human beings, we survive in tribes, we always have. Let people in, it’s a super power and will only make you better- personally and professionally.

That’s all for today. It’s up to you to show those in your life the way here.

Conscious Consumer

Quote of the week

The impact we have on others, and the ability to let others impact us, matters more than the products and work we put out. Human connection and changing other’s lives is the real victory.

Rise and Reflect - 3 Questions to Inspire Impactful Action and Critical Reflection

1. Do I feel that I am a part of a tribe? Multiple tribes maybe? List them out.

2. What is my role within that tribe? What value do I provide to the others in my tribe?

3. What am I doing lately to build NEW community or add to my existing community? How can I work to bring more people together?

My Ask of You

If you found value in this newsletter, I ask that you please share it with others:

• Forward it: Send this email to friends, family, and/or others.

• Talk about it: Share your thoughts on social media using #MindfulMan

• Invite others: Encourage those around you to subscribe here and join our community.

As leaders, it's our duty to help others. If you found this newsletter helpful, share it with someone who it can help. Change starts here, together.

Thank you for being here.

Sails up, eyes open.

Until next time,
Dan Baird