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Building Connections

The beauty and deceptive danger of texting

Recently a family member called to tell me she’d just gotten engaged, and it was having a strange effect on her fiance (let’s call him Bob).  Initially Bob insisted that he didn’t want to invite anyone to the wedding ceremony.  But when he  texted out the big announcement, he was surprised …

Reduce social anxiety by focusing on someone else

Anxiety stems from feeling threatened, and social anxiety is feeling unsafe in social situations.  Feeling anxious and insecure is unpleasant so many people try to avoid it.  But avoidance makes social anxiety grow.  The only lasting solution is moving toward the fear and the discomfort to reach another person.  This …

The Overcrowded Inner Circle

In 2000 Harvard researchers investigated the orphanage system in Romania after the fall of Dictator Nicolas Ceausescu.  Ceausescu believed the state could provide better care for children than their parents.  Instead children developed severe delays in physical, emotional and psychological development due to neglect.  Infants left alone in cribs developed …

Connecting with Purpose

When I moved to San Francisco in 2000 the dot com boom was on and there was a huge influx of people arriving daily.  It was really hard to find an apartment because they sold so quickly; I’d arrive at an open house 30 minutes after it started and learn …