How Your Inner Circle Helps You Adapt to Change

Hi there, happy Thursday!

Welcome to yet another issue of the Network Wrangler. We’ve finally reached 13 issues, a true baker’s dozen. Here’s what we’re covering today:

• The Inner Circle's Role in Adapting to Life's Shifts

• The Mutual Benefits of Reconnecting

• Talking the Inner Circle Effect on the Adam Experiment

Can you help me grow my audience? Please forward this newsletter to two people you think would appreciate the content. It’s a great excuse to reconnect with old connections, too!

Navigating Change: The Inner Circle's Role in Adapting to Life's Shifts

When I was at Singularity University, one of our favorite sayings was, thanks to exponential technologies’ rapidly accelerating innovation, “Today is the slowest the pace of change will ever be.”

I still believe it to be true; therefore, our ability to adapt to change is not just an asset but a necessity. In this constant flux, the significance of having a resilient and supportive Inner Circle becomes increasingly essential. This core group plays a pivotal role in our ability to navigate the unpredictable zigs and zags of change, ensuring we survive and thrive in the face of new challenges.

Here’s how each of the Inner Circle archetypes helps us adapt to change:

• Mentors act as a lighthouse of wisdom and experience, guiding us through uncharted waters. Their insight into past trends and challenges provides a valuable perspective that helps us anticipate and adapt to changes. By sharing their knowledge and lessons learned, mentors enable us to make informed decisions, reducing the uncertainty and risk that often accompanies change.

• Motivators inject energy and positivity into our journey, reminding us of our capabilities and potential. In times of change, when doubt and fear can cloud our vision and cause us to pause too long, motivators help maintain our focus on the end goal. Their unwavering belief in our abilities inspires us to embrace change as an opportunity for growth and development.

• Connectors are invaluable for bridging gaps between the old and the new. Connectors help us expand our horizons and adapt more quickly to changing environments by facilitating introductions to new people, ideas, and opportunities. Their ability to weave together diverse networks ensures we have access to the resources and support we need to navigate transitions successfully.

• Challengers push us to question our assumptions and explore new ways of thinking and doing. Their critical perspective encourages us to approach change not with resistance but with curiosity and openness. By challenging us to step out of our comfort zones, they foster adaptability and innovation, essential traits for thriving in a rapidly evolving world.

• Supporters provide a steady foundation of emotional support and encouragement, offering solace and stability amidst the whirlwind of change. Knowing we have a reliable support system gives us the confidence to face uncertainties, take calculated risks, and the resilience to bounce back from setbacks.

Our Inner Circle's collective strength and diversity become our most powerful asset in the face of change. By surrounding ourselves with individuals who guide, motivate, connect, challenge, and support us, we equip ourselves with a dynamic support system capable of navigating any transition. In leveraging the unique contributions of each archetype, we not only adapt to change but harness it as a catalyst for personal and professional growth, ensuring we remain agile and forward-looking in an ever-evolving world.

Rekindling Forgotten Ties: The Mutual Benefits of Reaching Out

Through no fault of our own, it's all too easy to lose touch with people who once played significant roles in our lives. It should come as no surprise to you now, dear reader, to learn that reconnecting with these long-lost connections can offer profound psychological and sociological benefits for both the connector—the one reaching out—and the connectee—the one being reached out to.

I call this the benefit of reconnecting to your old and cold connections.

For the connector, initiating contact is sometimes an act of courage due to the length of time since the last contact. However, this brave step can significantly boost one's mental health by fostering feelings of fulfillment and belonging. Reconnecting can also expand one's social network, providing both personal and professional support that was previously untapped. Psychologically, it serves as a reminder of one's journey and growth, offering valuable reflections on past experiences and the lessons learned from them.

The connectee, on the receiving end of this outreach, experiences a unique sense of appreciation and value. Knowing that someone from the past has made an effort to re-establish contact can and does enhance self-esteem and contribute to a more positive outlook on life. This reconnection offers them a chance to reflect on their own personal growth and the paths they've taken since the connection was lost. Sociologically, it reinforces the importance of social bonds and community, reminding us of the interconnectedness of human experiences.

For both parties, rekindling these connections can lead to a richer, more diverse social life. It allows individuals to exchange new ideas, perspectives, and opportunities, enriching their understanding of the world and each other. Moreover, these renewed relationships can serve as a valuable support network, offering emotional backing, advice, and companionship during life's ups and downs.

Reaching out to someone you've lost touch with is more than just a trip down memory lane; it's an investment in your and our social and psychological well-being. Re-establishing these connections is mutually beneficial, fostering a sense of belonging, appreciation, and a broader perspective on life for both the connector and the connectee.

Why not take that step today and see where it leads?

Talking the Inner Circle Effect on the Adam Experiment

I sat down with Adam Hofmann last week for his podcast on The Adam Experiment, to talk about the process of writing my book, the Inner Circle Effect, and all about harnessing the power of your closest connections. He got me to talk about the messy writing process, full of self-discovery and lessons learned, and finding that the message resonates beyond my closest connections. Give us a watch/listen and subscribe to Adam’s newsletter while you’re at it.

I hope you all find someone like Adam in your network to help unlock your message!

This Week’s Quick Hits

• “You owe a debt to tomorrow–to use it in the best way you can. Too often, we let Resistance hold us back, instead of taking a hard look at what’s possible.” (Seth Godin)

• Research has found that older individuals with more positive self-perceptions of aging, measured up to 23 years earlier, lived 7.5 years longer than those with less positive self-perceptions of aging. This advantage remained after age, gender, socioeconomic status, loneliness, and functional health were included as covariates. It was also found that this effect is partially mediated by will to live. (Yale research by Becca Levy, et al, in the APA journal)

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That’s all for this week. See you next Thursday. 👀

— Thomas

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