Recently, I went on an overnight trip to a bed and breakfast for a friend's 40th birthday. I was hesitant to go, because I didn't know most of the women attending, but a voice in my head said, "go. You might have fun," so I did. In the past, I've "gotten through" situations like these - events where I didn't know anyone. I'd make as much small-talk as I could stand, then hide in the bathroom until it was over, and I'd feel like I'd accomplished being social. It was more like checking a chore off the list than doing something fun. This time, though, I decided if I was going to make the effort to go, I was going to go mindfully. I was going to be open to the possibility of genuine connection with people, without developing unrealistic expectations to meet my new best friend at this out-of-town slumber party.
Out of the Closet
Out of the Closet
Out of the Closet
Recently, I went on an overnight trip to a bed and breakfast for a friend's 40th birthday. I was hesitant to go, because I didn't know most of the women attending, but a voice in my head said, "go. You might have fun," so I did. In the past, I've "gotten through" situations like these - events where I didn't know anyone. I'd make as much small-talk as I could stand, then hide in the bathroom until it was over, and I'd feel like I'd accomplished being social. It was more like checking a chore off the list than doing something fun. This time, though, I decided if I was going to make the effort to go, I was going to go mindfully. I was going to be open to the possibility of genuine connection with people, without developing unrealistic expectations to meet my new best friend at this out-of-town slumber party.