In Dare to Connect, Susan spent a lot of time talking about how hard it can be to create connection to other people, especially since most of us were raised to be competitive with the Somebody Training. Creating an environment of support and caring can seem like a daunting task, especially in the workplace where we are pitted against one another as a way to increase profit. How can anyone of us make a difference when we’re pushed to try to “better than” our friends and colleagues?
Susan has the answer in this anecdote:
I love the following story told by researcher and author Amy Domini at a business conference held in New York City: A little girl goes out after a storm to throw back some starfish that have become stranded on the beach. Told there are too many starfish for her to make any difference, she says, as she throws one back, “I made a difference to that one, didn’t I?”.
Everyone of us can make a difference in helping to make the world a place of connection rather than competition. While it feels like we are powerless to change an entrenched societal system, there is a lot we, as individuals, can do.
Susan wrote, “You will be surprised at how creative you can be when connection (outflow) is the motivation instead of competition (fear), and how you can help turn a “dog-eat-dog” mentality into an “everybody can win” mentality that will warm the world around you.”