160 different people who lived in 2 different cities where chosen at random to deliver a packet to a stockbroker who lived in a far away city. Each person was asked to write his/her name on the packet to a stock broker who lived in a far away city. Each person was asked to write his/her name on the packet and send it on to a friend or acquaintance who he or she thought would get the packet closer to the stock broker.
The idea was that when the packet finally arrived at the stockbroker’s, the names of those whose hands it passed through to get there would be known and confirmed in 5 or 6 steps. Half of these letters were delivered through 3 main people. These guys are called Connectors in the book “The Tipping Point” written by Malcolm Gladwell.
The story above refers to the concept of 4 degrees of separation….well, for some people it’s 5 degrees and for others it’s 6 degrees. The important thing to note is that you are very truly between 4 -6 people away from whoever it is you want or desire to meet. What is also important to note is that there are very pivotal people in your life. Those guys interestingly are pivotal to many other people. They have a special gift of bringing the world together. Their birthdays or parties are the most attended. They know everyone or someone who knows everyone.
Connectors very frequently don’t look out at the world the same way other people see. They see possibilities. While most people choose whom they would like to know and reject those who didn’t look right or live far off, connectors don’t mind. They like them all – the good, the bad and the ugly. These are the guys that make the world go round. Most jobs, business opportunities, marriages, relationships are set up by this set of people. They are the ones you call when you want to buy a coffin and need the best price, when you want to travel to Timbuktu and require to find out the process, when you need to get information about a show happening somewhere or you need to confirm a rumour.
I know a few connectors myself and will be forever grateful to God for making them come my way at the point in my life they did. I often wonder what kind of a person I am - a connector, a maven or a salesman. I think a connector is what i’ll least describe myself as. Take a quick thought and find out if you are a connector. Do your friends and acquaintances often depend on you for important information? Do you often find people you don’t know calling you telling you that they were referred to you by someone you know? If your answers are all yes, then you must be connector. On the flip side, if you aren’t a connector but know one who fits the description perfectly, please use the opportunity you have maximally with such a one. They are more likely to either answer your questions or recommend better suited people that they know and can link you up with who will satisfy your curiosity.
Ofcourse, the ultimate connector is God. He only it is who knows every single soul on earth – living and dead. All the connection you need is God. He can connect you to any other person on earth. Once you are connected to Him all things and people become automatically connected to you. You need to know that you are strategically connected to all when you are connected to God. He’s the ultimate connector. All the same, you must recognize the connectors that show up in your life and maximize their use because it just might be God making them available to you for connecting to His purpose and will for your life.
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