Connection and Social Health with Richard Lee-Thai
I had the pleasure of recently chatting with my friend, Richard Lee-Thai. Richard is a TEDx Speaker & Mentor, Connection Coach, and co-author of the recently-published book: “Become Your Superself: Connect with Yourself to Connect with Others.” His TEDx talk: "How to Find Excuses to Connect” outlines how people can make meaningful connections easier. His ultimate vision is to create a world without loneliness.
Why is learning how to connect with others important to us?
Chances are, we never grew up with a class on “How to Make Friends” so this is a topic that many people struggle with. There are so many adults that find it difficult to form connections and do not have the social skills to develop these connections. People also struggle with anxiety around connecting with new people. It is so important that we work on lessening the gap in connection education. We must be empowered with the social skills and confidence to make meaningful connections for the rest of our lives, therefore improving our social health.
What is social health?
We know what our physical health and mental health is, and we tend to check in on those areas. However, we rarely focus on our “social health.” Ask yourself, “what is the quality of my connections?” This is your social health. Basically, social health is a whole dimension of our well being that's not really being addressed and discussed as often as it should be!
What type of interactions do you want to have?
Everyone is different, and different times of life require different things. We are naturally heading into a more technology and virtual based way of connecting and that’s ok! In person connecting is great as well. As long as you are putting in the effort to spend time with people and make them feel loved, then you are doing it right!
“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”
Who are you making feel seen, heard and valued today? How can you accomplish this today? I encourage you to connect with someone and see how it changes your day!
You can connect with Richard here: https://excusestoconnect.com/
