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Often when I am asked to speak at conferences or events, my talk topic envelopes the idea of universal bonds ~ the engagement of others in conversations, the development of relationships and the global connection we all have which results in making significant differences in the lives of individuals all around the world.  Similar to the butterfly effect, my thoughts and actions will touch the hearts of many, some I don’t even know (yet), and those individuals’ thoughts and actions will touch the hearts of many, some they don’t even know (yet) and so on and so on.  One of the reasons this reality is a possibility has to do with the continued evolvement of social media, which is the perfect vehicle for our authentic voices to be heard.

The utilization of technology to connect with others is unsettling to some who believe we lose the human connection.  Some cultures don’t understand why anyone would want to share the divine ideas of the heart, as they covet privacy.  Certainly it is easy to hide behind anonymity, which some do as they have far more courage to interact and share ideas from behind a keyboard and monitor.  Yet, so many more individuals employ the power behind social media (like tweeting and blogging) as a way to become a part of the conversation and engage with a global community, which manifests into emails, phone calls, networking, meetings, and friendships.  The very human connections we believe are crumbling.

When I find someone new has connected with me on one of my social networks, I find time to read their profile and check out their website.  After all, there’s a reason they connected with me, and I am a fan of collaboration.  Although sometimes it does take me a few days, they will receive a Tweet, post or an email thanking them for the connection.  I never auto-send Tweets or auto-reply with emails (unless of course I know I will be away on vacation).  More often than not, I receive some form of communication back thanking me for thanking them.  Isn’t that interesting?  The word “social” is there for a reason.  This morning I received a direct message from someone on Twitter, which was canned.  He sent me a link to his blog and then asked how he could learn more about me.  Well, I thought, you could start by taking the time to read the creative way I wrote my bio when I only had 160 characters, as well as the website link which will direct you toward a lot of information about little ole me. Bitter much? No, I’m not bitter, but more amazed that although we have access to information and we don’t take the time to learn and initiate an exchange.  There’s a reason you found one of my profiles to begin with, yes?

When I think about a global community, I’m reminded of a day that’s ingrained in my heart.  It was a week after 9/11 and I was still without a home because my apartment being a block away from the now Ground Zero had been evacuated. Thankfully, I knew someone in real estate rentals and had access to a temporary furnished studio.  One late morning, I was wandering up and down the neighborhood streets and the next thing I knew I was sitting in a pew of a Catholic church.  There was a Franciscan Monk speaking to kids, looking to be about age 7 or 8 who attended the church’s school, about the events of 9/11.  While I loved the honest and open communication these wise beyond their years children were having with one another and the Monk, it was after he excused them to go to their next class that moved me the most.  Down the aisle walked four little girls, hand and hand, with big smiles on their faces.  One American, one Indian, one African American and one Asian.  They giggled and goofed around, but their hands never broke away.  Later in the week, Peter Jennings televised a town hall where a group of children, with ages ranging from 5 – 17, talked about their experiences.  Some of these kids were in our country because of their parent’s jobs, while others had grown up in one of the boroughs of New York City.  These children supported each other with nods, hands on backs and leaning on shoulders, while stories were shared.  Can you imagine what 9/11 would have been like with social media?  These kids would have had global voices and many adults could have learned so much.

We have a tremendous opportunity to affect change and learn from one another.  If you’ve yet to heard of a program called Tanzania Kids, you should Google it.  There’s a village in Tanzania where children of Shepherd’s School now have computers and the Internet where before they didn’t even have a library.  They have access to online learning ~ encyclopedias, books, news, as well as interacting with children from other countries in order to learn about one another’s culture.  I find the very idea of social media playing a role in this heart filled program cause for celebration.  We are a global community and geographic locations are no longer a restriction, as we’ve become each other’s next-door neighbor.

As a butterfly flaps its wings, the movement is said to have a significant effect on wind strength and weather systems globally.  When I post something to one of my social networks, there is the potential for hundreds of thousands of people to see and read my thoughts and learn from my experiences, most of these people I do not know (yet).  Within this group of many, several who will be inspired to respond to my posts or start there own, which have the potential to be read and viewed by hundreds of thousands of people, most they don’t know.  And the effect goes on and on.  We are all apart of something bigger than ourselves, and in my mind, that’s exciting!  I see technology as a resource and not a replacement for becoming and initiating conversation and making a difference.  When we have the courage to open our hearts toward new thoughts, ways to give back, and the promotion of good for all, grand shifts in consciousness and change in the world emerge.

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