There’s only so far we can go alone.  Magic happens when your dreams connect you with people who love you, support you, and bring out the best in you.  Remember, life grows richer when busyness is balanced out by quality time spent with people who matter to you. In other words, make time for the to-dos and the conversations that matter! Not only will you think bigger and achieve more, but you’ll feel happier too.  Keep reading to discover a collection of practical tips designed to help you build your personal and professional network with authenticity and ease.   Practice active listening  One of our deepest human desires is to be seen and heard for who we really are. Therefore, one of the best ways to build meaningful relationships with others is to invest your attention.  Most people listen to speak instead of listening to understand. It’s a subtle difference that makes all the difference. When you listen to understand, you’re not [impatiently] waiting for a gap in the conversation so that you can jump in. Instead, you lean back and listen with all of your being - not just your ears. This shift in the listening approach allows you to read between the lines so you can get a glimpse at what isn’t being said. You get to spot the body language signals, and you hear the signs in someone’s tone of voice.  Through the practice of active listening, you get below the surface of who someone is and start to see them for who they really are.  And in these moments of deeper knowing, your relationship strengthens and thrives. Be authentic & vulnerable  A lot of people are dancing an awkwardness between belonging and authenticity. On the one hand, we want to fit in and feel accepted [this is old, old coding]. On the other, we’re yearning to take off the mask and show others who we really are.  The question is, which part of you will win?  The more you’re able to strengthen your self-love, the more confidence you’ll unleash to truly show yourself. Sure, this requires vulnerability and courage. You need to be willing to show a little more than what feels comfortable.  But the shift in possibilities if you’re willing to ‘go there’ is profound.  Your vulnerability creates space and permission for others to be vulnerable too. When vulnerability leads, the true self emerges, creating space for deeper connection and stronger relationships. Ask deeper questions  Conversations are lubricants that deepen relationships and bring people closer together.  The trick is to move beyond the superficial, surface-level stuff and really get to know who someone is. Are you brave enough to ask the questions that crack people open and give you a deeper insight into who they really are?  If you only stay with small talk, you’ll only ever talk about the safe, ‘easy’ stuff.  Sure, it can be fun to chat about the game or the latest binge-watch show.  But how much closer can you get if you talk about all the things that lie under the surface? What could be possible in your relationships [both personal and professional] if you talked about your hopes and fears, your values, your life lessons, and triumphs and successes [to name just a few]?  Deep conversation is a catalyst for the meaningful connections that allow us to thrive in all areas of our lives.  It’s why we created the Icebreaker and Deeper Talk Decks!  Practice gratitude What you appreciate, appreciates!  This is where gratitude can inspire your relationships and help you feel more deeply connected to the people in your life.  When you make it a practice to appreciate aspects of the people in your world, you stop taking them for granted. Instead of focusing on the niggles and irritations that people inevitably stir up, you shift our focus to the things that make you smile.  Such as how your partner brings you coffee in bed, or how your co-worker has your back, or how your kids make you feel better when they hug you tight! Proactively appreciating people is a powerful habit to adopt.  It’s a small thing that makes a disproportionate difference to your relationships and ultimately your life.  Make quality time Your calendar or planner provides a powerful insight into what your life really looks like. It’s one thing to say you value your relationships, but does your time allocation back this up?  Meaningful connections require an investment of quality time. We know this in theory, but the practical application is often more difficult. After all, life is busy! It’s why relationships often get the leftovers, because other, more tangible to-dos get prioritized.  One way you can create a better balance is to schedule relationship time on your calendar. For example, diarize that coffee with a potential collaborator. Make a regular commitment to call a friend on a particular day of the week. Commit to a regular date night to keep your closest relationship flourishing.  What gets planned gets done, meaning you’ll soon notice the difference that scheduled relationship time makes. Life is a series of connections You’re right; it does take effort to surround yourself with the right people, but the difference this decision makes to your life is profound.  Decide to be proactive about how you create connections in your life.  It’s a commitment that will make a world of difference.  

Do you have a hard time keeping in touch with people? Perhaps time has passed by and you’re unsure whether you should reach out again. Perhaps you drifted apart because one of you moved away, or a global pandemic shifted the dynamic of the friendship and prevented you from spending time together in person.  It can be tough to see someone who you grew up with and shared your secrets, slowly become a stranger. Sometimes, people are only meant to be in your life for a season. Other times, the friendship requires a little more effort to get back on track.  “You don't lose friends, because real friends can never be lost. You lose people masquerading as friends, and you're better for it.” - Mandy Hale  Here’s the good news - it’s not too late, and you’re not alone. Studies have shown that beyond the age of 25, most people tend to start narrowing down their friendship group, with women losing them at a faster rate than men. Mending a broken friendship can be challenging, but it can be very rewarding. The trick is intentionality in resolving those neglected friendships.  Keep reading to find ways to rekindle a broken or drifting friendship...  First, prioritize yourself. Before we even begin, it’s important to establish that all external relationships first begin with a healthy level of self-awareness, and putting yourself first. If you are prone to giving more than receiving, ask yourself - is this a friendship worth pursuing in the first place? Are you always the one initiating conversations and meetups? Why do you think the drift occurred? Was it due to circumstances out of your control, or did the relationship feel one-sided? Maybe even exhausting? Think back to how you felt when you were with that person. If this is a friendship that you deem worth salvaging, keep reading.  Remember the details and stay curious  Think back to the last time someone reached out to you out of the blue. Was it because they needed a favour from you, or because they genuinely wanted to catch up because they valued you as a person? Chances are, the latter group are the ones you want to rekindle a connection with.  The questions you ask someone that you’ve had a falling out with is a little different from those you are getting to know for the first time. To shift beyond the “How have you been?”, you could get the conversation started by leading with something you already know about them. For example, you could:  • Mention something that reminded you of them, and reminisce about a fun memory you had together • Check back in on the most recent topic of conversation you can remember • Be honest and acknowledge that it’s been a while, but remain curious and understand that people change over time Above all, listen intently with the purpose of understanding with a deeper level of intuition.  Lead into self-disclosure Conversation is not a one-way street, and re-building a connection takes time and vulnerability on both ends. “Self-disclosure” is a term in psychology that refers to “a process of communication by which one person reveals information about himself or herself to another.” By opening up to someone by sharing something closer to your heart, you are showing vulnerability which can help foster that lost emotional connection.  Once you move past the initial small talk phase, you can try asking some prompts from the Icebreaker Deck or the Deeper Talk Deck to inspire you with further conversation topics.  Rekindling an old or broken friendship can be an incredible feeling, but don’t feel too discouraged if things aren’t exactly the way they used to be. The disappointment of drifting apart from someone who used to be very close can often feel like losing a part of yourself, but you may be surprised at what might happen when you take the chance!