Jonathan Nation

Strengthening Connections in a Distant World.

March 17, 2021 by jon

Avocado Time ...

Avocado Time is the best … 
Face to face where you are all present, ideally in person, present, yet maybe online. 

Moments you want to hold onto and savor forever. 

When separated by space, time or a piece of cloth … there are still ways to strengthen connection and it boils down to evaluating each option on: 

  • Quality
  • Quantity
  • Recency
  • An uncontrollable

Quality Improvements

Imagine water running through a pipe. 
Water is life 
Water is love
The amount of water represents the amount, or quality, of the connection. 

Face to face is the best possible, with touching comfort, and other little options simply letting more flow between those involved.

Video calls, in real time, is the next best. 
Audio calls, still in real time might be better or slightly below a recorded video message. No matter if we are talking using Marco Polo, Glide, or Signal. 

Recordings always have an advantage of being able to re-receive them.

Ever seen in a movie where a character will watch a loved one’s video over and over, or call a number just to hear that special voice? 

A picture is worth 1,000 words; more when you care deeply about the photographer for a great image allows you to see through their eyes … what was she seeing, where was she, what does she value? 

Simple text can mean the world to someone who is longing for connection. 

Thank you … or an improved thank you. 

So satisfying yet the impact depends on the other points of evaluation. 

Quantity

The pure amount of connection. 

When his love language is Quality Time, he does desire a high quantity of high quality time. 
If the quality must be lowered … quantity can be raised. 

Instead of a weekly zoom call; maybe a regular morning or evening video message. 

That would still be a slight quality degradation yet the overall quantity is similar. 

Recency

Would you rather hear from a good friend yesterday or last month? 

If you have a wonderful evening with a great friend three months ago … is the connection deeper or wetter than if that same friend sends you a text just now? 

Relationships take work like it takes additional water to keep something wet sitting out in the sun. 

Who do you care about, wish you have a better connection with? 

Reach out, today & regularly. 

Not out of obligation, yet out of a desire to be closer. 

Ask Questions. 
Share the mundane. 
The beauty around you.
Thank him for being him. 
Praise her for how she made your life better. 

The Uncontrollable

With all that is within your control, there is one thing that is 100% not. 

The other person. 

More important, the story that the other person is telling himself about the relationship, connection, and the future of us. 

He might have a demon he has carried all his life around abandonment or worthiness. 
She might have scars from a past where she was treated poorly, the relationship ended bad and her world crumbled. 

He might be a perfectionist and hold you to an unstated standard. 

She might not know what her desired future is. 

Past, pain & expectations lead to a story she tells herself. 

Owning it & making it known can turn a hindrance in a relationship into a strength. Vulnerability is a key to deeper connections. 

Doing a monthly budget is statistically one of the best habits that decreases the odds of a divorce.

Why?

It’s not about control. 
When you do a monthly budget you face your world as it is today. 

Then you set a vision for 30 days out … when both agree you have common expectations, vision, and a story to tell. 

Yet just saying your desires or expectations once might not be enough. 

Actions speak louder than words. 

I listen to what you do more than what you say, or txt. 

Silence is the hardest response to deal with.

Yet without the words the pattern, frequency & level of water can be lacking. Your pattern of action impacts the story he tells himself, just as his actions impacts your story you tell yourself, but you are still in control of the stories you tell yourself.

There are seasons for all relationships. 

Just like a venture, project or podcast. 

It’s good to have extra checkpoints in addition to the intentional day to day activities. 

Connections are connections. 

Some are well worth fighting for – others are worth letting go – you have a role to play, yet the other person must do her part too. 

The closest to you, the deepest & most foundational relationships have the biggest impact on the achievements you will achieve, 
The fun you have, 
The places you will go, and
The ripples you will cause as you sail through life. 

Please reach out to each person who came to mind as a good example, share this, and thank them for being awesome because the world needs stronger connections … especially … in a distant world. 

Filed Under: core Tagged With: connections, distance, love, remote

Improving Thank You

March 3, 2021 by jon

Thank You.
You are welcome.

A common way to express your gratitude for someone or something, followed by an acknowledgement. 

Yet, it can be better. 

When possible, and there are times of overwhelming gratitude that all a person can say is “thank you” … you can improve your goal of connection and praise for the other person with this one tip: 

Add “for …” 

  • Thank you for sharing. 
  • Thank you for being here.
  • Thank you for listening.
  • Thank you for caring. 
  • Thank you for taking the time to go the extra mile. 
  • Thank you for your investment in my winning.
  • Thank you for doing what you do so naturally, it really helps me because I struggle with this. 

That little bit more increases the connection between yourself and the person you are grateful for. 

It also increases the odds of that person being clear on what you would like them to do more of. 


If you want to take it one step even further, add how you intend to move forward in a better way because of what the person said or did:

“Thank you for sharing that, I am going to add it to my Happy File, to pull out when I need some encouragement.”

So, with that said … 

Thank you for reading, sharing, and adding what you are grateful for when you express your thanksgiving because it amplifies what you are already grateful for.

Filed Under: core, life, mine, text Tagged With: communication, for, love, Thank You, Thank you for

Life & Love

November 8, 2013 by jon

To live is to love & to love is to live … my life is a reflection of my love, and my love is shaped by my life.

~Jonathan Nation

[Read more…]

Filed Under: mine, quotation Tagged With: Jonathan Nation, Jonathannation, life, live, love, nation

Proverbs 09 – mockers, wicked & wise

March 9, 2009 by jon

Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return.
Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt.
So don’t bother correcting mockers;
they will only hate you.
But correct the wise,
and they will love you.

Proverbs 09:7-8 New Living Translation

This is one basic lesson I have had to learn the hard way. It’s normal and natural for you to want to correct someone who is incorrect. It gives you a since of personal pride, look I know something that you do not. I use to be so bad that I basically lost some valuable relationships because I was trying to help too much and did not grasp how, or just was so in the forest that it was hard to see what was going on in the valley next door where my friend really was. [Read more…]

Filed Under: life, Proverbs Challenge, text Tagged With: correct, hate, hurt, insult, love, mocker, paradigm, proverbs, proverbs 09, Proverbs Challenge, rebuke, wicked, wise, world view, you

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I am always looking to me more leaders, linchpins, and problem solvers. We need more people to take on a business owner mindset, to seek out pains and problems then find ways to provide value to others.

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~Jonathan Nation

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