Episode Details

Loneliness epidemic. Did you know we're currently experiencing this? A recent Harvard study found that 1 in 4 Americans feel they have no one to confide in. So, if you feel lonely or like you're lacking something, you are (ironically...) not alone.Today's episode can help.

Radha Agrawal shares simple tools from her new book, BELONG: Find your people, create your community & live a more connected life. My friend, the Live Inspired community is absolutely a place where you belong. My hope is that today's episode helps you strengthen the community where you live, too.

NOTES:

• Check out these recent articles about the loneliness epidemic: New York Times, Washington Post.
• Get a copy of Radha's new BELONG book.
• Meaningful relationships are the key to a healthy, happy life. Isolation is as detrimental to your health as being an alcoholic; twice as detrimental as obesity, according to the same study noted above.
• Learn more about Radha Agrawal on her site radhaagrawal.com.
• The cornerstone of belonging is participating. Don't just be a bystander.
• Begin architecting your community:
  1. Ask yourself: Who am I and what do I care about?
  2. Write down the qualities you're looking for in a friend.
  3. Write down the qualities you do not want your friend to have.
  4. Realize you need to have the qualities you're seeking (i.e. less judgmental, listen well).
  5. Be gently self-aware of how you're showing up.
  6. Begin with "exploratory" phase (try new things, show up at new events, observe).
  7. Move into "participatory" phase: Which events would you like to go back to and push yourself to participate, volunteer, strike up real conversation?

     • Stop asking questions like "what do you do." Ask bigger questions: What are you most excited about? What's a moment when you were most afraid?

• Be patient in the process. It takes 80 hours to call someone a friend. Prioritize this.
• ALL of our issues ladder down to one thing: NOT belonging.
• It's exhausting to hang out with people who don't get you. Take the time to find community members who fill up your tank.
• Sometimes, the more successful you are the more at arms length you are from people. It can be lonely on top.
• We're often part of a community because we're born into it. Cultivate a sense of belonging; feeling of "I'm home. I'm happy."

Want to get started making new friends? Listen to Ep. #87, Mel Robbins' 5-second rule will hold you accountable to getting out of your comfort zone + making new friends.

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