impossible to form a meaningful connection without compassion. Compassion is different than sympathy or empathy. You don’t have to necessarily understand the person’s behavior to feel compassion for them. The reason compassion forms meaningful connections is it is an active emotion that helps us alleviate negativity and leads to a greater acceptance of what others are offering, even if it’s not exactly what we are looking for.
There are ways to make meaningful connections in those relationships that will always only exist via social networking:
-Show compassion for those who seem to be having a bad day by offering encouragement
-Be your authentic self, allow yourself to be vulnerable in order to show that we share the human condition
-Check in on people to see how they are doing.
-Respond to direct messages, tweets, invites, or posts
-Share some personal context to the information you share. Tell how you came across it or how it helped you
However we choose to communicate with one another, we should always be mindful of connecting instead of merely contacting others. Meaningful connections increase our happiness, which, after all, is what we are all seeking. Nothing thrives in isolation, or as the Dalai Lama put it, “We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.”
types of classes and many more can be found offered at your local community center, for a nominal fee
-Play Together
Call some friends for a pick up game of basketball or touch football. Go to a billiards room and play a game of pool. Go for a bike ride, or stay in and play board games.
Be a Good Listener
Listen to understand not to respond. Many people miss what a person is really saying because they get stuck on one thing said, or feel they know where the speaker is going, and proceed to formulate their response. Don’t interject, make eye contact, confirm you are listening with a nod or ‘ok,’ and ask questions if necessary.
Practice Compassion
The Dalai Lama said, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion, if you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
We judge ourselves by our intentions and everyone else by their actions, but luckily compassion is the antidote to this perfectly normal human behavior. It is virtually