Bravely Connected

This week has had heavy news, leaving social media divided, and the world disconnected yet again.

Disasters Reveal the Cracks

I’ve had the privilege of working alongside an organization that provides disaster relief and recovery—from the first chaotic moments after a tornado, fire, or flood, to years later when communities are still rebuilding.

In 2013, my own city experienced a devastating flood. More than a decade later, the impacts remain. Recently, I spoke with a woman from a small town recovering from a wildfire who shared words that struck me deeply:

“Any crack in community will be revealed in disaster.”

And “disaster” doesn’t just mean natural disasters. It can be a school shooting, a classroom overwhelmed by unmet mental health needs, or a family battling to get their child proper care only to hit wall after wall. It can be the silent crisis of isolation.

Disasters—big or small—expose where our foundations are weak.

Community as the Solution

When cracks appear, it’s easy to throw our hands up in despair and declare that the world is broken. But I believe community is the answer. Poverty, addiction, mental health struggles—every social issue finds healing when people come together.

The problem is, coming together is also the hardest thing for us to do.

Self-awareness is powerful—but if we stop there, we risk becoming overly individualistic, even edging into narcissism. On the other hand, being only others-aware can make us doormats, allowing people to walk all over us. True connection lies in the dance between both—being grounded in who we are while honouring the stories and needs of others.

This balance is at the heart of what it means to be bravely connected.

Remembering the Story Behind the Person

Every person you meet carries a story. Last week on the blog, I reminded readers: You’re not just interacting with a person—you’re interacting with their story.

That post you saw online that appalled you? Behind it is a lived experience that shaped their perspective. Algorithms only deepen our divides, tricking us into thinking everyone is seeing the same feed when, in fact, we’re not. This fuels misunderstanding and mistrust.

That’s why I reread Brené Brown’s Braving the Wilderness every year. It reminds me of the balance we need—honoring our own emotions and experiences while respecting that others’ stories are different. One of her most profound statements is this:

“People are hard to hate close up. Lean in.”

When we step closer instead of pulling away, we begin to understand.

Facing Ourselves When We Move Closer

But moving in is difficult because it also means facing our own struggles. Distance feels safer. Yet connection requires courage—especially when disaster exposes the cracks in our families, workplaces, schools, or communities.

For years, I’ve led exercises with teachers, parents, executives, and students where they identify their emotions, subconscious thoughts, and resulting behaviors. No matter the group, the results are the same: exhaustion, discouragement, feelings of inadequacy, and behaviors of withdrawal, numbing, or isolation.

We are more alike than we think. We connect not through behaviours—which can be messy, irritating, or even destructive—but through shared emotions. Loneliness connects us. Discouragement connects us. Joy connects us too.

When we realize we’re all carrying similar emotions, the walls between us begin to crumble.

The Bravery to Name the Cracks

Disasters reveal cracks. In my own family, when mental health challenges struck, the cracks nearly broke us. In organizations, I’ve seen leaders back away from confronting weaknesses, closing contracts rather than acknowledging pain.

But healing starts with naming the cracks. That requires bravery—the kind of bravery that inspires the title of my work: Bravely Connected.

When we name the cracks, we can begin to repair them.

A Call for a Different Way

This past week reminded me why this matters so deeply. The news has been heavy with loss, violence, and cultural division. And what weighs most on my heart is our young people. They need to see us modeling a different way forward—one where they feel safe to share opinions, to sit in classrooms without fear, and to live in communities where connection is stronger than division.

That only happens when we stop connecting on behavior and start connecting on the human level of emotion.

Your Challenge This Week

Here’s my challenge for you:

• Practice self-awareness. Ask yourself: What am I feeling? How does it sound in a sentence? What behaviours are flowing out of that?
• Practice others-awareness. When you see someone acting out—online or in person—pause to remember: there’s a story behind their behaviour.

It takes courage to move closer, to name the cracks, and to connect through emotion rather than judgment. But our world depends on it.

Keep being brave, friends. I’m cheering you on.

Did you know that this blog is also a podcast? You can listen in here.