#89: It's good to talk

Hi friends,

On Friday, I was in an Uber returning from the airport, and we drove past my childhood home. Across the road from it is a red, moss-covered Toyota MR2, which, as far as I’m aware, has never moved from the driveway since I was a child.

As I was reflecting on the journey, thinking about all the new things I had seen and experienced over the past few days, the red car brought a striking contrast to mind—how little changes if you stay in one place.

Networking

In the past 7 days, I’ve been on two business trips, spending 3 days in Saudi Arabia, 1 in the Isle of Man, and the remaining 3 in London. During those trips abroad, I met approximately 150 new people, including clients, prospects, and colleagues—many of whom I’d now consider friends. These individuals came from diverse backgrounds, hailing from countries like Saudi Arabia, Libya, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, Sudan, Pakistan, South Africa, Canada, and Switzerland.

It’s been an incredibly busy and exhausting week, both mentally and physically. I worked through last weekend, and my workdays this week have started early in the morning and ended late at night.

Yet, despite the long hours, I’ve felt a deep sense of energy. Every conversation I’ve had has been a learning experience, making it feel like I’m gaining as much as I’m giving, even though my role in them is to educate, inspire and motivate others.

I learnt so much because the network I was tapping into was so different to my everyday one.

Network effects

What has enabled humans to conquer the planet isn’t our individual ability to think but rather our collective ability to think in groups. Almost everything we do daily relies on the knowledge and experiences of others.

Each of us is plugged into an extensive network of shared knowledge, and the more open and fluid our networks are, the more intelligent we become. By exchanging insights and experiences, we contribute to and draw from a shared pool of knowledge, allowing us to solve problems and innovate more effectively.

We share knowledge primarily through conversation. We are social animals, and we learn by sharing stories.

Scientifically, this collaborative learning is deeply rooted in how our brains function. Neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections—occurs in response to new experiences, learning, and social interactions. We strengthen these neural connections when we expose ourselves to diverse ideas and perspectives, especially through conversation.

The more varied the stories and insights we hear, the more we engage and challenge our brains, enhancing our cognitive abilities and broadening our thinking.

Implementation idea

Are you expanding your network regularly?

Are you tapping into the knowledge and experiences within your network?

Remember, everyone you meet knows something you don’t. Every interaction is an opportunity to learn, grow, and enhance both your personal and collective knowledge.

— AJ

On my bedside table:

📖 Non-fiction: The Body Keeps The Score: Mind, Brain And Body In Transformation Of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

📚Fiction: The Testament by John Grisham

💬 Quote: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn” - Alvin Toffler

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