I've been an introvert for a very very long time but I haven't always been this way when I was young I I moved from school to school a lot so I learned how to be a social butterfly just just so that I could survive I faced a lot of bullying as a kid because being the being the new kid all the time since nobody knew me they they always tried to to instill their their dominance on me or or or test my skills or my strengths and try to to exploit my weaknesses but in doing
so it it forced me to learn a skill that that it seems like most people struggle with nowadays and that's Connection by the time I got to high school I had I had that down to a science I could I could talk to anybody but as I've gotten older it also taught me something else people can be hateful and and cruel and fake I learned to to see people for who they truly were and and it's not always good as I got older I started noticing a pattern people weren't interested in being real friends it
seemed like it seemed like they always wanted something relationships they they they often felt like they were more transactional than real like we were only friends as long as I could actually offer something and then came my time in the military you might think that that maybe I found some sort of a Brotherhood because that seems to be what happens for most people but instead for the most part all I found was was people that were were more interested in climbing the ranks than than they were forming a a real connection or building building a
bond and when you're in the military life is different you don't really find friends that are that are outside of the military because your entire life is the military they own you everything that you do and and experience is the military most of the time your your co-workers are not your friends but in the military you live eat sleep and breathe with these people when your constant exposure is is to to fake or or people Pleasers it'll leave you feeling jaded and that's exactly what happened to me is it it left me feeling jaded and
over time during during my military career I just simply withdrew now I did meet some amazing people and I'm still friends with with some of them to this day but for the most part all I did was withdraw I stopped trying to connect with people and and instead I I just I kept myself my wife and I we we both felt that it was just the two of us and we were on our own welcome back to another episode of sweat talk my name is Chad becoming an introvert it almost it's almost like it became
it's almost like it became my shield at first it felt safe but deep down I've I've always known that it doesn't it it doesn't feel right and it's been holding me back I'm not the social butterfly that I want once was and I truly do miss that I truly do miss that miss that part of myself sometimes the inner child who once saw the good in people who who once believed in in the possibility of real connection it seems gone or or or at least buried but here's the Paradox people people often seem to be
drawn to me I'll be standing in a public place and in some random stranger they'll just they'll just walk up and and start talking to me like like we've known each other for years it's not because they recognize me it's something else it it's I don't know maybe it's my aura maybe maybe it's the way that I stand my body language I I don't know I I can't I can't explain it one time that that that stands out to me was last October my family and I we went to a concert in Seattle uh we
went and saw the band The Movement one of our favorite ree bands and when we were standing outside waiting for our Uber to show up a random stranger just came up to me stood next to me and he he just started talking to me and within minutes he was S standing there telling me his life story and he didn't know me from this channel but but well at least he didn't mention it but he just seemed like he wanted a real connection with somebody and this actually happens a lot I don't understand why but it
has taught me something that's that's that's important and that's that even though I've pulled back from the world people are still out there craving real connection people are still looking for somebody to to listen and and trying to find somebody who cares but the problem is we are not connecting with each other like we used to it's not just me it's it's society as a whole people people don't want to connect with each other anymore they don't want to socialize anymore think about the last time you went to a restaurant chances are you you scanned
one of those one of those QR codes for the menu and on the surface that that's that's it seems like it's harmless it's it's kind of cool that technology has moved in advance as far as it has but if you actually think about it it's another way that the technology has has pulled us away from having real connection with the people that are sit literally sitting right in front of us because as soon as we break out our phones we're going to be tempted to scroll through reels or check check social media go look at
those notifications instead of being present with the people that we're with we're actually getting sucked into into the digital world and it's it isn't it isn't only about technology it's also about fear we think that the world is a scarier place than it was in in the past but that simply is not true according to to FBI statistics the last decade has been the safest time to be alive in history if we stop and take a look and and actually think about that why do we feel that that that danger is always around us or
or we need to have some sort of fear we we think that danger is everywhere and the answer to that is because we're over overwhelmed with information the moment the moment that that the tragedy strikes anywhere in the world we get that notification the information and and the connection that we have to the to the digital world it can be a good thing the problem is it's often being manipulated causing us more fear that fear Keeps Us glued to our screens and and and and it actually Keeps Us isolated because the more we fear the
world the more we are going to retreat from it we avoid new experiences we stop talking to strangers we only stick to what what feels safe our our phones our our homes and our small circles but that's not actually who we are as a species as humans we we are social creatures by Nature we were wired for that connection and that's why for most of us being isolated it it it feels unnatural and it feels lonely hello and that's exactly why I'm making an effort to change my s and I'll be honest it's not easy
putting myself out there after years of of pulling back it's it it is uncomfortable when strangers approach me it's still a bit awkward but but I'm doing it when I've met subscribers on the trail or or just had a a random conversation with with strangers it's a reminder that that that connection actually feels good it's it's cool to to talk to strangers and and hear their story or to to share a a moment that actually feels real have you ever have you ever thought about how we actually got to a point where where socialization is
just no longer a thing have you ever taken time to think about why socializing just seems to be more like it's a lost art the number one reason I believe is it's it's technology our phones the social media those those uh those digital digital menus at the restaurant I believe that that those are are most of the problem I believe those digital menus I believe they're they're evil and if I see one at a restaurant I'm going to pick up my things and I'm going to turn around and walk out the door I'm going to
do that because even though they have made things a little bit more convenient they've made things less personal and I I'm not going to support something that I'm against I think the two number two reason is fear we're constantly bombarded with with negative news that's making us more hesitant to be trustful in others in turn it's making it more difficult to engage with the world number three is isolation culture remote work streaming services the the the the delivery apps like like Uber Eats and and whatever those things are are making it so convenient to to
just stay home and and avoid people all together we don't ever experience or we don't experience the interaction like we used to so it's no wonder we're out of practice when it comes to real connection but here's the thing socializing isn't just isn't just a a convenient thing to have I I I believe that it's actually necessary studies show that that improving your your social connection it it's going to reduce stress it's going to improve your mental health and it's ultimately going to allow you to live longer when we isolate ourselves we're not just missing
out on friendships we're actually missing out on life how how do we fix this how how do we become social creatures again number one is put down your phone put down the damn phone if you're out and about with somebody or or even if even if you're at home put your phone in the pocket in your pocket or or leave it on the kitchen counter or by your bed or somewhere else but commit to to the actual connection that is right in front of you number two is talk to strangers it's going to feel awkward
at first but just start small say hello to people that that you see in in in in passing people that you passed by on going out for your walk or or say hello to the stranger compliment compliment somebody in line when when you're at the store because these these small interactions they can they can brighten that person's day and yours number three is reconnect with your old friends try reaching out to somebody that you haven't talked to in a while sometimes all it takes is one message to to to reignite your connection number four is
is join join a club join some sort of a club whether it's whether it's a sports team or some hobby Club but find a space where you can actually go and and meet like-minded people number five is practice gratitude start focusing on the good in people instead of always assuming the worst try looking for the best and I mean this doesn't I I'm not saying to to be blind to the situation or the the potential dangers and this doesn't mean be be blind intentionally but but just stop always assuming the worst and for me this
is this is personal because I'm I'm doing my best to to ReDiscover that that social butterfly that I once was I want to ReDiscover that that inner child who who used to look for the good in people and instead of always seeing the bad I myself I'm I'm learning how to embrace that that awkward moment and start opening up to strangers more and I'm teaching myself how to appreciate that connection that I know that that that I need as a human being it's not easy but I firmly believe that it is worth it people don't
want to socialize anymore we need to that connection is that is what makes us human it's time to to put down our phones and and and push past our our those those fears and start connecting with people once again it's time to to ReDiscover the joy of of being present of sharing stories and and and building real relationships life isn't about how many likes you have on your social media post or it's not about how many followers you have it's about the connection that you make the people that you love and and the moments that
you share but's stop isolating ourselves and start living again together if you made it this far do me a favor and go down in the comments section and put that one word socialize just that one word socialize stop being afraid to socialize stop stop fearing what what what the media is telling you and all the lies and and all the that we're constantly exposed to every single day let's put ourselves back out there and let's begin to socialize again and I'm I'm sure as you guys can see I'm running out of sunlight extremely quick today
I got a late start anyway I want to thank you guys for showing up I hope you guys are showing up for yourselves thank you guys for the super chats and I hope that each and every one of you has a wonderful day peace