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.