Hi friends,
There are several new folks here this month, so welcome! If youâd like to know more about the story and ethos behind No Bandwidth, start here.
As this little community begins to grow, and as Iâm flexing my writing muscles digging into new and complex topics, Iâve been thinking a lot about connection. So much of my motivation for starting this newsletter is to build connections with like-minded folks (online and IRL) and to connect the dots between topics related to nonprofit work, culture, and personal identity.
Speaking of, I started watching BrenĂ© Brownâs new HBO series Atlas of the Heart last week. In it, she describes connection like this:
âConnection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.â
Hearing connection described like this drove home for me the idea that a lot of our connections these days are extremely surface-level. How many people are you connected with on LinkedIn or Instagram that you never actually speak to? How often are you willing to share the real you with acquaintances in your day-to-day life?
For nonprofits, how can we remain connected to our supporters, and more importantly, how do we build and maintain relationships with the people weâre trying to serve?
With these questions in mind, letâs jump into this monthâs offerings!
Five Underrated Ways to Engage With Your Community
Instagram and TikTok are great, but if youâre looking for new ways to build deeper connections with your patrons (or in your personal life), check out this list I put together of underrated communications channels to help you break free from Mark Zuckerbergâs clutches.
That Infamous Brené Brown TED Talk On Vulnerability
I couldnât figure out a way to share BrenĂ©âs Atlas of the Heart without being thrown in copyright jail, but this TED Talk hits on many of the same themesâ including the power of human connections.
If youâre not already familiar with the work of research professor, author, and podcast host Dr. BrenĂ© Brown, this is the talk that made her famous:
A List of 99 Mindful Conversation Starters
Iâm going to try and include one new self-care idea in each monthly newsletter. You can think of these offerings as teeny homework assignments that I will be doing alongside you to help us stay grounded and ready to strike down oppressive systems.
Our homework this month, naturally, is to practice intentional connection. This can take many forms: you can call your mom, grab coffee with a coworker, FaceTime with an old college buddy, etc. but ideally youâll need a subject you can talk (and listen!) to.
If the thought of this makes you a little anxious, same! But according to Brené Brown, connection is good for our hearts and brains, so hopefully this extensive list of talking prompts will help us both out.
Does Mindfulness Make You Selfish??
Okay, I saw this article floating around on Instagram and the title was way too click-baity to resist: âMindfulness meditation can increase selfishness and reduce generosity among those with independent self-construalsâ
Uh, what?
Iâll give you the SparkNotes version: Psychology professors at the University of Buffalo have been studying the connection between independent (self-focused) vs. interdependent (community-focused) thinking and the effects of meditation.
Theyâve found that people who use phrases like âI amâ as opposed to âWe areâ while meditating tend to be stingier with their time and slightly less concerned with the needs of others. Very interesting.
Between you and me, I think thereâs certainly more research to be done on this topic, but I do think the principle is sound.
Anyway, the brain is weird! Iâll probably be chewing on this article until itâs time to write next monthâs issue.
See ya then! đ
Selia
Time Is Relative; So Is Generosity âł
What HBO's âThe Gilded Ageâ Gets Right About Philanthropy đȘ