I called my sister on Sunday to tell her two quick things when a brief chat became a meandering conversation. While we talked, we both wandered around our houses, doing random chores and sharing the little moments of our day. She fed her chickens, and we laughed about chicken antics. I made a smoothie, and we discussed the avocado shortage. While watering the garden, I showed her my calla lilies, and she told me how hers had bloomed again from last year. For five hours, we talked about everything and nothing, enjoying a wonderful connection that felt both spontaneous and deeply meaningful. Five hours!
In today’s fast-paced world, easy-going conversations like this aren’t a built-in part of our lives anymore. Gone are the days of family gathering to prepare involved meals, women washing clothes together at the river, or men on long hunts. Instead, our interactions often revolve around passing purposeful, intentional information. With friends, it might be discussing the logistics of carpooling or coordinating plans and schedules; with our partners, it’s often making grocery lists, managing finances, or planning home projects.
I’m also not talking about the small talk at dinner or a party where discussions stick to safe topics like the weather or responses to the typical “How was your day?” I’m talking about unhurried, easy-going conversations that delve into the nitty-gritty details of life, both light and heavy, allowing us to connect on a deeper level.
In this Abundant Living Series article, we’ll leverage the four ​ROCK thru principles​—Respect, Ownership, Connection, and Kindness—to make space and find beautiful meaning in what may initially seem like meaningless, unproductive interactions.