I have a psychologist friend named Don Woods and Genius Network® member who helps people remove trauma. He said something I thought was profound: “If you understood the Atmospheric Conditions of somebody’s life, it makes sense why they are the way they are.”
If you look at anyone in your world who is going off the rails, or is self-destructive, their behaviors would make sense if you understood their Atmospheric Conditions. It doesn’t give them an excuse for being abusive or to do bad things, but it gives you understanding.
The great thing is we can actually change the Atmospheric Conditions. As a child, you may not have a lot of control. As an adult, when you get to a certain level of development, you can make better decisions. You can take responsibility. You can manage it. The Atmospheric Conditions are all about Connection.
When you want to connect with anyone, ask this simple question first: “How can I help?” Connecting requires a couple things, such as: asking, courage, and not coming across as an opportunist who only cares about themselves.
People sometimes have trouble connecting because they are SO focused on what THEY want.
It never occurs to them to ask: “What does the OTHER PERSON want?” Instead, ask: What’s in it for THEM? Why should the person you’re trying to connect with care about you UNLESS you show up with a reason that should make them care? Your Opportunities are important to you. The way you see the world is important to you. But that doesn’t mean anyone should care about what is important to you, especially if they don’t know you. No matter who someone is, there is likely an area of their Life where they are completely broken and lost.
The façade of someone being “important” or “special” goes away when you’re sitting with a billionaire, or a famous athlete, musician, or politician that has an area of their life where they are not only messed up, but doing things that would publicly be perceived of as “bad”… AND they are hurting themselves (and sometimes other people). This is the type of experience that gives you a whole other perspective on humanity. What helps you to connect is the ability to identify suffering in other people, and to ask yourself: “How can I help reduce or remove that suffering?”
by Joe Polish
Founder of Genius Network
P.S. I've created a resource page as a central guide with access to valuable resources available to you right now. Check it out at www.GeniusNetwork.com/Vision-Insight. Bookmark this page. This is where I will post every new update.
P.P.S. Whenever you're ready... here are 3 more ways I can help you make YOUR business and life more E.L.F. (Easy, Lucrative, and Fun!):
- Discover the 10x Multipliers to grow your business exponentially… Amplify your opportunities and reveal the untapped potential in your business: www.10XTalk.com/Vision
- Trigger these 8 Profit Activators in your business right now: www.ILoveMarketing.com/Vision
- I'm often asked what books I recommend. So, I've put together a collection of books and products in 9 specific categories. These are resources we've shared in Genius Network to help improve life and business... To check them out visit www.JoePolish.com/Books-Vision
P.P.P.S. If You Or Someone You Know Is Struggling With Addiction, visit www.GeniusRecovery.org/Vision-Letter
Also, check these out 🙂
www.JoePolish.com/Vision-FreeBook
www.ILoveMarketing.com/MarketingVision
www.GeniusRecovery.org/RecoveryVision
More Genius Network Articles You Might Enjoy
Connection, Networking, and the Pursuit of Happiness
#264 Episode Summary: In this episode Joe Polish is interviewed by friend, entrepreneur, and host of the Entrepreneur’s Organization podcast Dave Will about the origins of the Genius Network®. Listen as Dave and Joe dive into what makes connectivity such a powerful...
Separating Badness from Bad Behavior
A couple of years ago, Joe did an interview with his friend JP Sears about addiction recovery. While JP Sears is an absolutely hilarious and talented comedian and YouTuber, the conversation Joe and JP had was raw and real, delving into the need for connection, how to...
The Future of Medicine?
When Joe sat down with "The Father of Integrative Medicine," Dr. Andrew Weil, they discussed how integrative medicine can help people stay healthy and live longer. Joe started by asking Dr. Weil, "What IS Integrative Medicine?" Dr. Weil believes it's the future of...