by Lori Deschene

“Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend, or a meaningful day.” ~Dalai Lama

Some sociologists argue that weak ties—the type you form with colleagues and online friends, for example—are the bane of modern life.

Instead of having meaningful conversations that bring us closer to people, we spend much of our time networking with a vast sea of strangers.  We keep many interactions peripheral, failing to form the type of intimacy that benefits us emotionally and even physically.

A recent New York Magazine article titled Alone Together, challenged this idea since weak ties create possibilities for new and deeper connections.

Seize those possibilities.

Let your guard down.  Talk to someone you don’t really know right from your heart.  Don’t anticipate hurt or awkwardness.  Just be you, in that beautiful way only you can, and give them the chance to open up, as well.  When you believe in people, instead of responding in fear, they often surprise and amaze you.

Not everyone will see you.  Appreciate you.  Get you.  But you never know which acquaintance could turn into a friend that feels like home.

Do happy. It’s something you’re due.

This post is republished with permission.  Find more of Lori Deschene’s writing at tinybuddha.com. Read the original post here