Episode #94 Show Up Uninvited
Friendship requires intentionality, and sometimes intentionality can feel awkward. This week, Dr. Michael Brown and his daughter Lauren Thompson suggest a countercultural method to developing community and deepening connection.
Show Notes
I’m really passionate about hospitality, but it doesn’t have to be something that we overthink. I don’t need to have a hot meal coming out of the oven, and I don’t need to have fresh cookies… It might look like sitting down on the floor and playing with my son.Lauren Thompson
Three Problems
- We all crave human connection, but many of us instead feel isolated and alone.
- The insecurity that we are an inconvenience to others often prevents us from becoming a blessing to them.
- We tend to not only build fences around our homes but also around our hearts.
Three Principles
- Many of the people we are most nervous to initiate friendship with are actually wishing that they felt more connected to the people around them.
- Showing up uninvited requires equal parts confidence and intentionality.
- A willingness to inject ourselves into the rhythms and routines of others cultivates deeper and more authentic friendships.
The RICH Personality
- Relaxed
- Inviting
- Confident
- Hospitable
Three Practices
- Say the words, “I want to be your friend” to that person you have been admiring from afar.
- Invite a coworker or colleague into your home with no agenda but to simply sit in each other’s presence.
- Repeat the words, “You are welcome here any time” over and over until others finally believe them.
In This Episode
Related Dimensions
Related Episodes
Cultivate Close Friendships
When it’s all said and done, the most memorable and meaningful investment we can make is a constant choice to truly connect with the people around us. This week, Dr. Michael Brown and Casey Greenawalt revisit one of our all-time favorite concepts: life is all about relationships.
Initiate With Strangers
All of the closest friends in our lives were once strangers. This week, Dr. Michael Brown chats with Casey Greenawalt about how we can take those first steps to developing new and exciting relationships with strangers.
Add Another Chair
If every encounter with another human being is sacred, why don’t we create opportunities for more of those encounters to take place? This week, Dr. Michael Brown and Dr. Tyler Schwanz consider how to invite and include the stranger, acquaintance, and friend-of-a-friend.
