A Need for Others: The Power of Human Connection

Genuine human connection is essential to our well-being, growth, and sense of purpose.

Picture this: someone has just achieved something remarkable, a promotion, finishing a degree, launching a business, running a marathon.

From the outside, it looks like a solo victory. But when you pull back the curtain, there is always a cast of characters: a mentor who offered guidance, a partner who recognized progress, friends who provided laughter when things felt heavy, colleagues who challenged them to level up.

Behind every accomplishment is a network of people, and behind every meaningful life is the same.

We often live in a culture that celebrates rugged independence, the idea that we should be able to “do it all on our own.” But the truth is unavoidable: people need people. Not just for support and success, but for our social and emotional well-being.

Relationships are what make life richer, sustainable, and more meaningful.

The Heartbeat of Connection

Human beings are wired for connection. From infancy to old age, our nervous systems, our health, and even our longevity are shaped by the presence of others.

A meta-analytic review of over 308,000 individuals across 148 studies found that people with adequate social relationships have a 50-percent greater likelihood of survival than those with insufficient social ties. The magnitude of this effect rivals, or even exceeds well-known health risks like smoking and obesity.

Asking for help, opening up, or leaning on others creates a different kind of strength. It’s not weakness, but wisdom.

When we celebrate, it’s sweeter with people to share it with. When we grieve, we find solace in the embrace of someone who understands. When we are stuck, it’s often a conversation with a trusted friend that unlocks the next step forward.

The brightest achievements can feel empty without connection. With it, even ordinary days can feel full.

The Many Relationships that Shape Us

Consider the different circles of relationships that give color to our lives:

• Family offers grounding and a sense of where we come from. The culture we were raised in also gives shape to our values and how we show up in the world, influencing the way we connect with others and the choices we make throughout life.

• Friends bring joy, shared memories, and the kind of laughter that heals. Those we feel safe enough to open up to offer a kind of support that isn’t always available within our families, providing a space for honesty, vulnerability, and unconditional acceptance.

• Mentors and colleagues push us toward growth, helping us see possibilities we cannot always see ourselves. They challenge us to stretch beyond our comfort zones, hold us accountable to our goals, and offer guidance from their frame of reference in a way that we might never have considered on our own.

• Community provides belonging, a reminder that we are part of something bigger than just our individual story. It connects us to shared values, traditions, and collective purpose, offering both support in times of need and inspiration in moments of growth.

Each relationship plays a unique role, and together they create a fabric strong enough to hold us through life’s transitions, challenges, and milestone moments.

The Trap of Self-Sufficiency

There is a popular myth that strength is about going at it alone. But isolation does not make us stronger. It makes life more difficult.

Think about the times you tried to carry everything yourself. Progress feels slower, joy feels thinner, and setbacks hit harder.

Needing people isn’t a weakness—it’s the very design of our humanity.

On the other hand, asking for help, opening up, or leaning on others creates a different kind of strength. It’s not weakness, but wisdom. Interdependence allows us to move farther, faster, and with more meaning toward our pursuits.

A Community of Belonging

At the deepest level, we don’t just want relationships. We have a fundamental need for belonging.

Belonging is about being connected in our differences and accepting them for how they show up. We want to know there are people who see us fully, accept us as we are, and still encourage us to grow no matter what struggles or difficult circumstances arise.

When we find or create these communities, life changes.

We carry less weight and create less burden having to do life on our own. We discover new perspectives. We grow in ways that are hard to achieve in isolation.

Most importantly, we realize we were never meant to do life solo.

The Strength in a Cohort

This is where GlideView’s small group programs come into the picture. They were created with this nugget in mind: people do not just need information or strategies to move forward in life. They need each other.

In these small groups, people come together around turning points and life transitions. They share stories, listen deeply, and support one another in clarifying their objectives for the years ahead. Each person brings their own experiences and wisdom, and together the group creates a space of trust, encouragement, and belonging.

It’s not about fixing one another or competing. It’s about walking alongside each other as we navigate the big questions of where we are headed. And just as in life, the group becomes more than the sum of its parts.

In Closing

The truth is, life was never meant to be lived alone. Every accomplishment, every healing, every moment of joy is magnified through the presence of others. Needing people isn’t a weakness—it’s the very design of our humanity.

So, lean in. Reach out. Allow yourself to be supported, and be willing to support others. In doing so, you will discover that relationships are not just nice to have. They are the very thing that make life meaningful.

If you are looking for a place to experience that kind of belonging with intention, GlideView is one space where you can find it. Because no one can do life alone, and no one should have to.

➤ About GlideView Collective

GlideView is a personal transformation company that helps people who are going through a major life transition to design the next decade of their lives with clarity and purpose. Our flagship 10-Year Visionnaire Program is an eight-week guided small-group experience for individuals who are motivated by personal growth. Through facilitated sessions, intentional reflection, and deliberate planning, participants craft an audacious and meaningful 10-year vision with the support of a like-hearted community.

GlideView programs empower individuals by providing content that increases self-awareness and uncovers internal resources, enabling them to thrive naturally and take progressive action as they navigate this pivotal stage of life.