I think my mission in this life is to figure out how to connect with other folks. I've always wanted to know what made people tick, what they thought, how they felt, what made them happy, what made them laugh. I, of course, like being the one to make them laugh. It might be because the people in my family didn't do these things. We didn't talk to each other, didn't do fun, or even not so fun, things as a family, we rarely asked questions besides, "When will dinner be ready," and those kinds of things.
My family probably wasn't that unusual for those times, well, it was pretty weird. It surely wasn't like the Cleavers in "Leave it to Beaver." As far as communication goes, suffice it to say, I didn’t learn many skills from them. I did learn how to be polite (not butt in or ask questions), how to read the unspoken signals from others, how to be a good girl (whatever that meant) and, most of all, that I shouldn’t speak unless spoken to.
My upbringing left me with a big longing for something more. I didn't grow up to have a "regular" family of my own, so I had to figure out another way to relate more intimately with friends, family and my partner.
Who knew that when a friend suggested I make a board game about connection that I would create something that would be exactly that - a communication game that builds relationships! Her inspired thought created a passion and vision within me. It’s opened me up on so many levels, exposed me (in the best ways) to things I never thought were possible and, hopefully, has opened the doors for other people along the way.
Talk to any therapist, life coach or relationship expert and they’ll all tell you that communication is one of the most important keys to healthy and happy relationships. Whether it’s your child, mate, friend, co-worker, or family member, it doesn’t matter. How we communicate and how we receive that communication is crucial to our Well-Being. It’s important to find a way to ask those questions and to laugh that creates the kind of relationships that our soul wants.
So take a chance, ask a question you've wanted to know the answer to. Tell a joke that makes someone else laugh. Color outside of the lines. Be a little silly. And see if that doesn't change things, just a little, so you can have more joy in your life.