Make A Conscious Contact - Bishop T.D Jakes

Developing new healthy relationships can start with an intentional introduction.

Most of us want to make more friends—not just online friends like on social media, but people we can share experiences with.

But in our busy lifestyles, we leave little time to meet new people and get to know them on a personal level.

A friend of mine recently invited me to a themed event called Conscious Contact. All he told me about the gathering was, “I'm having a get together so all my friends can get to know each other.” What a great way to meet new friends, I thought to myself. “I’ll be there!” I replied.

The gathering took place from 8:00 PM on a Saturday night until 8:00 AM the next morning. Fifty people from all walks of life, races, and religions spent the next 12 hours in a large rented house in Palm Springs. Most of us didn’t know each other, but we had all agreed that we would make conversation with every other attendee throughout the night. Instead of small talk, however, we were required to find something interesting about the other person while also sharing something interesting in return.

The first person I met was Rosario, an actress from New York City. “Are you a Christian?” she asked. “My brother recently became a believer!” “Yes!” I said, surprised by the sudden question. I then proceeded to share with her what God has done in my life and how I came to faith.

We have since shared a few Thursday Night Football games together.

Then there was Malloy, a singer from Los Angeles who came up to me and asked “Are you listening?”

“Am I listening?” I replied.

“Are you listening to what the Spirit is saying?” he continued.

“We should be friends?”

“No!” he said, ”We are already brothers!”

Since that night, he’s invited me to see him perform and we’ve hung out together.

The evening seemed to fly by as we mixed, mingled and shared with one another. At the end of the event, people were hugging and exchanging contact information.

“This was the best event I’ve ever been to,” said Denise, as she was saying goodbye to my friend hosting the event. She said that as a waitress from Las Vegas, “I meet a lot of people on my job but this was a great way to really get to know someone better. I know I’ve developed some new friends here. Thank you so much!”

After the event, I realized people can make conscious contact with anyone anywhere and increase their circle of friends. The idea may be daunting, but the reward is worth the discomfort. Next time you see someone you’re interested in knowing, say, “Hi, my name is ____. What’s yours?” Who knows, they may become your new best friend!