Good morning, everyone!
I’m so glad you’re here. Whether this is your first time or you’ve been with me for a while, welcome! Each week, I use this space to share a positive message something to lift your spirits, offer a little perspective, and bring good energy to your week.
The other day, a little kid walked up to me, gave me a curious look, and stared at my wheelchair. With total innocence he asked, “What is that?”
I smiled and said, “This is my wheelchair. I use it to get around.”
He paused, thinking it over, then asked, “Can’t you walk?”
I said, “No.”
Without missing a beat, he goes, “Oh, can you throw?”
I laughed. “You bet!”
He backed up about 15 feet, football in hand, and threw a perfect pass right at my chest. For the next half hour, we tossed the ball back and forth like we’d been friends forever.
That moment stuck with me. The kid didn’t care why I was in a wheelchair. He didn’t focus on what made us different, he focused on what we could do together: a simple game of catch.
But as adults, we often get this backward. We zero in on what we don’t understand, don’t agree with, or what separates us. We ask questions not out of curiosity, but to push our own views. And when we can’t find common ground, the conversation becomes two people talking at each other instead of with each other.
Connection doesn’t work that way. Real connection starts with trust and trust starts when we focus on what we have in common. Build that foundation first, and you can talk about anything, even the tough stuff, without tearing the relationship apart.
I believe that every single person has at least 5% in common with anyone else. If we start there if we choose to see what unites us instead of what divides us we’ll go a whole lot further.
Because at the end of the day, real connection isn’t about agreeing, it’s about understanding.
Wishing you a great week ahead. Let’s look for that 5%.
Cheers,
Tom