Want to know how to create connections with heart & soul?

Wonderful, of course you do.

I thought you might which is why I’m going to share 5 tips with you to deepen your connections with others and do it with a whole lotta’ heart + soul, sista!

I’m beyond honoured and grateful to have had my work featured in this month’s ‘Inspired Coach’ magazine with an article titled, ‘5 Ways to Serve Your Clients with Heart & Soul’.

Although my article (and the magazine) is predominately targeted at other entrepreneurs and coaches, upon reflection of my article, I realised that these tips could also be incredibly useful and valuable when applied in your life – and anybody else’s – too.

With a slight ‘tweak’ to the words and principles, here are,

5 Ways to Create Connections with Heart & Soul:

1: HOLD SPACE & EMBRACE SILENCE

When we are communicating with friends, family or colleagues, one of the most powerful things we can do when communicating is to ‘hold space’ and embrace silence when it presents itself, rather than rushing to fill the ‘awkward’ break in conversation.

When you ask someone a question, wait for their answer, for however long it takes.

When they finish a sentence, wait; there might be more.

When there is a long pause in between the conversation, wait; what comes next may be miraculous.

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs and bonds happen between people in the space and silence, however, in order for this to happen we need to give people the opportunity to get there.

2: GIVE OTHERS THE BEST OF YOU

In order to best create real heart and soul connections with others, we too need to be serving from a heart-centered and soul fulfilling space.

What can you do to ensure you are in touch with your inner self and connected to your soul before connecting with others?

Perhaps it’s centering yourself through a brief 10-15 minute meditation practice, or scheduling in some alone or down time on a daily or weekly basis.

When it comes to actually being with others, how can you really BE with them?

Do you often have your mobile phone out in front of you, checking things intermittently, not really giving the other person the respect and attention they deserve?

Eliminate distractions by keeping your mobile phone in your bag, plan your time and catch ups accordingly so you won’t feel rushed or have your mind on other things.

3: CONNECT THROUGH STORYTELLING

As human beings, we are wired to connect through storytelling; it shows others we understand – we’ve been there ourselves.

Whilst a big part of any communication is through the art of listening, when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and authentic with others through sharing a relevant or relatable story in our lives, the connection between you and said person is deepened and taken to new heights.

People want to not only be heard, but understood too; the fastest way to do this is to find common ground and let them know they aren’t alone or the only person to have ever felt/said/experienced/been whatever they are currently going through.

4: CREATE HEALTHY BOUNDARIES

When it comes to the heart and soul, boundaries are essential in any relationship.

Boundaries create something of ‘unspoken guidelines’ without wanting the relationship to feel like a corporate OH&S policy or procedure.

It’s important to be compassionate and forgiving with others, and it is also important – and vital for your own wellbeing – to stand up for what is right, wrong or unacceptable whether with friends, family, partners or colleagues.

If others treat you disrespectfully, it’s ok to politely call them out on it, just as I would hope they would do the same if the roles were reversed.

If some space is needed (a given) in order for the relationship to blossom and thrive, accept and respect each other enough to grant it.

The more you respect yourself and your time, the more others will too, and vice versa.

5: SET REALISTIC EXPECTANCIES, NOT EXPECTATIONS

There’s no point bombarding people with a list of unrealistic expectations that they’ll never be able to meet or match up to.

Every human being is already trying to do the best they can in life and might already be feeling stressed and overwhelmed by various responsibilities in their life without the added pressure of expectations from others.

Instead of creating expectations of others in your relationships – how someone should act, speak, think, which only ever leads to disappointment – focus on expectancy.

When you are expectant of something, there’s a sense of joy and excitement attached. On the contrary, when you have expectations of others, it becomes more of a burden and burn out in relationships.

When we show up and step up for one another with heart and soul, not only do we create the space for lasting and positive change in other people’s lives, it inevitably trickles into and transforms ours too.

Now, I’d LOVE to hear from you. Which one of these five tips was your favourite and how are you going to implement it into your life straight away?

P.S. If you’d like to receive a copy of Inspired Coach magazine, sign up here.