Nice Bike
Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life
By: Mark Scharenbroich
Published: January 2011
Format: Paperback, 156 pages
ISBN-10: 0982656238
ISBN-13: 978-0982656235
Publisher: Echo Bay Publishing
"Think about the giddy emotion you felt the last time you made a new connection with another person". writes Emmy award winning keynote speaker and humorist Mark Scharenbroich, in his inspirational and engaging book Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life. the author describes how the ability to connect in an authentic and genuine way with other people helps us to be more engaged with our families, be more active community members, and be more valuable contributors to teams in the workplace.
Mark Scharenbroich introduces the concepts of personal connection and engagement, in the most deeply human way possible, through the means of a story. The author shares the tale of a person, attending a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company celebration, who upon seeing another attendee's motorcycle remarks, "Nice bike!" With those two little words, the author points out how more than a casual, throwaway compliment was extended to the other person. Instead, the the friendly comment conveyed three important elements of forming deeper and richer interpersonal relationships with others. Those three principles are acknowledging, honoring, and connecting with others.
Mark Scharenbroich (photo left) presents a thoughtful and profound observation about the nature of being human. People want, need, and even crave interaction and connection with others. The author offers the well known concept of life being a a journey down a long and twisting road. Mark Sxharenbroich takes the analogy of the personal journey to a more personal level. Employing the motorcycle metaphor beautifully, the author shares how even what on the surface appears to be even the smallest of engagements, can lead to an enriched and fulfilling connection. While Mark Scharenbroich tells the delightful stories of bike owners engaging and connecting, the concept has a much wider application, to the world of business, to the building of communities, and to a stronger family life.
For me, the power of the book is how Mark Scharenbroich describes both the philosophical nature of connection, with real life stories of interpersonal engagement. The stories, filled with gentle humor, engage the reader at a deep emotional level. The book itself is an extension of the connection philosophy and worldview described within its pages. The author doesn't present the three principles of connection as a formula. Instead, he moves to a deeper level, and suggests the ideas should become internalized within the person, to become as natural as breathing. Making connections should not be about getting something, but rather of giving and sharing oneself openly and honestly with other people.
Mark Scharenbroich provides an invitation to see and engage people in a new and refreshing way. That idea may seem obvious at first, but until it is practiced as a way of life and of conducting business, it remains only a theoretical construct. This book offers guidance and inspiration toward transforming everyday meetings and interaction with others into deep and strong connections. Going far beyond the prescriptive, and traveling through the narrative, Mark Scharenbroich shares a renewed and meaningful outlook on life. Through more connections, we not only enrich our own lives, but we make a deep and lasting change in the lives of those with whom we connect. The three principles are a way of living and of being, and they can change and enhance lives forever.
I highly recommend the motivational and life transforming book Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life by Mark Scharenbroich, to anyone seeking to develop and enrich their interpersonal relationships with other people. For business people, the book presents guidance for engaging employees and customers in deeper and more meaningful ways that lead to more fulfilling relationships within and outside of the organization.
Read the personal and philosophical guide Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life by Mark Scharenbroich, and set out anew on the journey of life, refreshed, and prepared for the delight filled adventure of connecting with others. You will soon be sharing different versions of "Nice bike!" with everyone you meet.
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