*Photo Credit: http://youlooklovelyphotography.com/*

Have you ever had a moment that feels like you were waiting for it your whole life?

On the last weekend of August, I had the immense pleasure of meeting with special a group of people, 95% of whom I had never met before “in real life”, but all of whom I had something important in common with.

We had all sprinted like crazy for one month on Seth Godins altMBA, meeting regularly online, working together and levelling up in our own special ways. This event gave us the opportunity to connect face-to-face, to stand together and share our worlds since then, and as I discovered, how much our worlds had changed since becoming altMBA Alumni.

When I think back on the week, the thing that stands out the most are the hugs. Tight hugs, showing real joy and care about these people who, relatively speaking, were only recently added to our friendship circles.

And that was one of the most surprising things — we were all friends. True friends. There wasn’t a single person I talked to whom I wouldn’t have happily sat down for a few hours and shared stories of my life with. I wanted to hear everyone speak, I wanted to know about their lives. I really cared.

We all cared. My face hurt from smiling and some people I couldn’t stop hugging. We all wanted to get closer, to attempt to share the nuance of what we were each feeling, to hold in our arms some people whom we felt deeply connected to, if only to hold them for a few seconds to say “I know you…and I'm really, really glad I know you”.

In the altMBA, Seth Godin has started something miraculous, something that hasn’t been done before, especially in education. He has created a digital space where people can meet, leap together, share their hopes and dreams, challenge each other in a spirit of loving-kindness, and ultimately change their lives and the lives of others. He has found people who care enough to be generous. We all spoke the same language. We knew what it was like to dance with fear and do the hard part first. This face-to-face gathering was the natural result of a yearning to meet each other in person.

I still miss it. It was a rare moment in time, a peak of together-ness that made me re-think what community was all about. To be able to physically be with each other, to get that close, added a magic ingredient of deeper meaning to our interactions.

Be it family, friends, customers or someone you just feel needs it, get close. Get closer with your words, with hugs or with high fives, and connect meaningfully with the people you can make a difference with.

Nobody is a stranger after a hug.

Hug, anyone?

A remarkable year

38 lessons from 38 years