Never underestimate the value of connecting with people in your life.

By connection, I don’t mean the occasional thought about a person and a “hello” when you happen to run into them. It’s the deep, valuable connection that only comes when you genuinely care.

When there’s authenticity in that relationship, it becomes more valuable than any marker of success.

It compounds, grows with time, and when properly cultivated, pays more dividends to the quality of your life than any other source. It’s the reason the communities with the most centenarians (people who live past 100) are people who are socially connected.

For a child, a friend in the neighbourhood is way more valuable than a new toy in the basement.

For an adult, a friend you can depend on has the same equivalency — more valuable than a new toy in the basement.

I’ve done enough magic magic shows in retirement homes to see the difference between those with connections and those without.

The difference is even greater than night and day.