Connections
A recent article in Fast Company magazine made me realize why I started The Surround and gave men a chance to connect. The article, in the February ’12 edition, is entitled Generation Flux. It begins by saying that the future of business is pure chaos and gives suggestions for people surviving the chaos. The sidebars are full of statistics touting the growth of various web sites, smart phones, digital media, etc.
All this got me thinking about how our culture is pulling for being separate. It seems like there will be a day that we will never leave the house, and do all we need remotely. Perhaps we will not see another person all day long – at least not in person but an image on the screen.
This is not how humans were meant to live; it is not how men are going to survive. Yes, men seem to prefer to be separate, to not let others in, to not ask for help, to not share emotions. As the digital age and culture grows, there will be greater separation and fewer opportunities to really connect with another.
The Surround provides an opportunity for men to really let it out, to really connect in ways we do not usually. The meetings provide an opportunity of men to be real, to have fun together, to get support to face the challenges they have in life – be it in relationships, as a father, on the job or with his health.
The men who come to these meetings have started businesses, become more successful in existing businesses and jobs, healed broken marriages and become stronger men.
The coaching provided in these circles gives each man a good chance to withstand the chaos that life presents. It’s not just in business, it’s all over. While our kids become adept with the digital devices and age; they still need a powerful man to father them. These powerful fathers help to keep the kids’ lives real and connected.
The future is in our hands. It will be more important for men to connect the way they did historically rather than digitally. Where are you challenged? Who do you connect with, really? Who knows you deeply?