“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~Buddha
When I first moved to San Francisco, the only friend I knew there told me she hoped I didn’t get too close to her other friends.
At first she told me that it was better for our friendship if we didn’t completely overlap our lives—and then later, she confessed that she was afraid they’d grow closer to me than they were to her.
It was an honest, vulnerable admission, and I empathized with her. We value our close friendships as special and meaningful, and it can feel threatening to see other people create special relationships with them, as well.
I realized then that is an act of generosity when someone goes out of their way to connect you with someone they know. While we all have the opportunity to meet people throughout our daily lives, a common link can instantly turn strangers into friends.
I also realized that there’s something exciting and fulfilling about bringing people together.
When you connect people, they may help each other reach their dreams, or understand each other like no one else, or maybe even fall in love. The possibilities are limitless when people have the chance to open up to someone new.
Who can you connect? People who work in similar fields. People who have similar aspirations. People who share similar views. People who share a hobby or passion. People who are going through something similar in their personal lives. People who might hit off romantically. People who are both new to the same city. People who might challenge each other to grow.
It might be a dinner party, and introductory email, or even just a tweet. The how is less important than than they why: you never know when you introduce two people how they might expand each others’ worlds.
Who can you connect today?
Photo by doug88888
About Lori Deschene
Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha. She started the site after struggling with depression, bulimia, and toxic shame so she could recycle her former pain into something useful and inspire others do the same. She recently created the Breaking Barriers to Self-Care eCourse to help people honor their needs—so they can feel their best, be their best, and live their best possible life. If you’re ready to start thriving instead of merely surviving, you can learn more and get instant access here.
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Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine.