Our need for connection with people is similar to our need to eat. We need it to sustain our lives. Although we live in a connected world and you may think we’re more connected than ever, I’m talking about the old school, face-to-face interactions. The kind where you sense a true connection through energies, if you believe in that kind of pseudo-science.

If you speak with anyone who is successful in all aspects of life and ask them what was one thing that helped them get to that success, they will always say either one or multiple names. It might be their mom, dad, mentor, wife, husband, family, or close friend. I mean just look at any award show. When someone wins an award look at whom they usually thank, aside from God. They thank all the people mentioned above and also people they worked with. Every. Single. Time.

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” –Jim Rohn

This is a quote that has been thrown around the Internet for years because it couldn’t be any truer. I want you to think about this quote closely and let it sink in. I'll wait.

Thought about it? Now ask yourself this: Are your closest people supportive of you? Are they in alignment with your goals, or just there to have some “connection” to fill that empty gap in your heart? Are they moving forward with their lives and experimenting to get the best out of life?

Here is an example of a close friend of mine who goes to TONS of self-development and business events. He gets into 95 percent of these events for FREE and they’re worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars to attend. He gets in for FREE. When he told me that, I almost fell off my chair. Why is it possible for him? Because he made CONNECTIONS with the right people. I’m not talking about just networking with someone where you try to gain something. Instead, you give the most value and make that connection.

Engulf the people you want in your life with value. If you love music and want to be a DJ, go to events where DJs meet, develop a social media following and find the people in that community and be part of that community. With time you’ll build connections by giving value and when the time comes that you need something to push you forward, you can go for the ask and get something from them. Trust the process and they’ll be more than happy to provide you with whatever you ask.

Your life depends on these connections. They can either make you or break you. There will be tons of people you meet where your connection may be severed down the line, but you can always take away something from the relationship.

Look at all the people you look up to and look at the people they’re usually around. No one ever comes up to the top alone; they either got there by manipulation (the negative way) or got there by connection (the positive way). Which one are you?

P.S. Below are some books that you can read or listen to that can give you a further understanding on connecting:

1. "How to Win Friends and Influence People" – Dale Carnegie
2. "The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help" – Amanda Palmer
3. "Compelling People: The Hidden Qualities That Make Us Influential" – John Neffinger and Matthew Kohut
4. "The Like Switch" – Jack Schafer
5. "Never Eat Alone" – Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz