I’ve been thinking about the bonds and connections created through #sharedexperience.
On #ANZAC day, those serving or who have served in the armed forces gather today to reflect on their experiences and those who preceded them in various displays of commemoration.
That bond of shared experience is on display to the public observers at dawn services, and centotaphs in capital and regional cities, in tiny towns and district halls and through our screens.
Those observing together are also sharing an experience and creating a connection.
Shared experiences come in all shapes and sizes. Many as mundane as travelling on the same school bus for six years or playing for the same footy and netball club or experiencing the generosity of special elders in your home town.
Each is experience creates a bond and connection that ensures.
Ever wonder why it’s so easy to pick up a conversation with a colleague or a school mate decades later- the bond of shared experience is the answer.
Many studies have pondered and proved the mechanisms creating connection through shared experience including a recent one from Dartmouth College, Hannover, New Hampshire in the US which includes a review of previous studies (link in comments).
ANZAC Day is also our wedding anniversary- 16 years ago we created a shared experience for those we cared about the most from our aging parents to our young nieces and nephews and our broad range of friends and family.
It was also a pretty nice experience for us!
This pondering got me thinking about how much I love creating the opportunity for others to connect or facilitating the opportunity that’s been created by others.
Whether it’s organising drinks in our garden, a silly competition st the golf club or delivering a keynote in which the audience gets to share an experience, it truly is one of my favourite things.
What shared experiences have created connection for you?
How can you create opportunities for others to connect through shared experience?
#connection #bonds #sharedexperience #groundedthinking
