happiness is making connections

We are at our happiest when we have made a connection. The connection could be to a new friend, or reviving an old friend. It could be connecting through joining some new club or organisation. It could be connecting to knowledge through learning something new. It could be the ultimate happy connection- a coincidence- these can make us absurdly pleased for seemingly no reason at all.

Coincidences occur in everyone’s lives, but some people seem to attract them more than others. Also, inexplicably, some places attract more coincidences than others. It is true, though, the better you are aligned with 'what's right for you' the more coincidences you will notice.

But, to return to the initial idea, why should connecting make us happy? Because, in a way, man is hard wired to connect. We are social animals who require a group in which best to survive- in a primitive sense. The idea that one man can, Rambo style, survive alone in the wilderness is implausible. There is simply too much to do- but with a small group one can divide up tasks and live reasonably well. Only in a non-wilderness can man afford to not be connected to others.

His natural connections increase when he lives somewhere teeming with food. Hunting and gathering require one to connect with nature in a way that maybe now only a naturalist is able to emulate.

But why should coincidences make us happy? Because they imply, or echo, a deeper connection to the very fabric of life, to the reality of our most complete experience of living. Perhaps there are deeper reasons too, beyond what we can reasonably go into here.

But don’t take my word for it- try it yourself. Do some connecting. Talk to people in shops. Call up old friends. Be on the alert for coincidences- then see how you feel. Good isn’t it?