Friday, August 7th, 2015 was my 26th birthday and it was a fantastic day! Friday birthdays are the best. The following day, August 8th, I had plans to go into New York City, but the plans fell through.
This turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I was instead able to meet up with my friend Matt McGowan in New Haven, one of my favorite areas of Connecticut. We met at The Cask Republic and he was kind enough to tell me how much he loved my book Traveling Triumphs: The Improbable in Budapest and Beyond.
“It was a great story,” Matt said, “and it’s not something you hear or read about very often.”
The Night Goes On
After going to another part of New Haven we met up with more people, including Chris Edwards. I had met Chris at a networking event once before and it was great to see him again. Chris is the man and a marketing expert – we shared helpful ideas with one another. He has his own business and is awesome to chat with.
We ended the night in the lounge of the apartment complex of one of Chris and Matt’s good friends. After hanging there for a while, Christine Nguyen showed up with some delicious pizza. After playing some pool with Christine, I ended up having a great conversation with Christine and Chris.
The Power of Discussion
We discussed a lot of important topics, ranging from interviews and public speaking to life/career transitions, serendipity, and the Connecticut Young Professionals Networking Group. It was a fantastic conversation and we gleaned insights from one another. The power of being yourself and having heartfelt discussions goes a long way:
- Having a discussion with someone face-to-face builds authentic connection and makes it easier to relate to other people.
- Making connections like these turns each day into an adventure. Having traveled the world and lived in Europe for a while, I certainly miss living overseas (and have reverse homesickness for my old home in Budapest, Hungary). But when you continually meet and hang out with awesome and genuine people like this, life becomes more of an adventure on a daily basis.
- These types of encounters, opportunities, and possibilities can happen anywhere, at any time – after all, while we were sitting in the lounge chatting it was around 3 in the morning.
Find a way to discuss ideas (and life in general) with others more frequently. When you discuss things with the right people, you feel inspired, energized, more connected, and better able to deal with the ups and downs of life. Thanks to my friend Matt, I was lucky enough to interact with Christine and Chris, two very smart people. The same will be true for you as you continue to embrace the power of discussion.
People often say that in order to achieve your goals you have to sacrifice. While I’m all for delayed gratification when it comes to certain things, here’s what I’ve realized from the power of discussion when it comes to your work, business, and life: taking time to live your life and meet people will only lead you to greater heights.
Have you ever found value in the power of discussion? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Jeff Davis is CEO of Jeff Davis International, a leadership consultancy firm now based in The Netherlands. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and has spoken internationally across three different continents. To find out more about the value Jeff provides, email his Executive Assistant at meg@jeffdspeaks.com.
