The Art of Friendship...Part 1

Making new friends should be a part of our daily practice. The challenge for many of us is the task of life are a first priority. Additionally meeting new people requires stepping out of our comfort zone and being willing to be rejected. Finally, for most of us, if we overcome the first two hurdles, we have to be honest and admit we don't have a plan. How would we start? Do you just walk up to a stranger and start talking about the weather? So we carry on with our day and do not purposefully engage the people we meet unless we already know them at some level.

Adding to the challenge in our day is the addition to technology. Many of the people we see each day are connected to a mobile device. They are looking at a screen, their ears plugged with ear buds for listening to music or pod casts. Is it even realistic to expect that we can meet someone and have a meaningful conversation? After all they are also engaged in the tasks of life. They probably did not leave their home thinking, today I am going to make a new friend. 

Would you be surprised if I told you that you that statistics show that last year loneliness killed more people than obesity or that recent surveys show loneliness has increased by 20% in the past two decades. More than 40% of adults say they experience extended times of loneliness due to lack of friendships. 

I firmly believe that people are more open to new friendships today than ever before. Follow this post part two and we will outline a plan for increasing your friendship base.