Hi, welcome to the Silver Dispedience Podcast. I'm Diane Gorsel and today I'm going to talk about the power of creating new friendships at any and every age. You know, Do you remember when you were a child and you'd meet other kids and you'd play with them and instantly feel like you had a new best friend? It wasn't the length of time that established those friendships.
It was the connection, the energy that you both felt on meeting and starting to play together that created that magic and created those magical memories, you know? Sadly, as our teen years started to descend on us, friendships well, they became more complicated. Gossip entered the picture. Later, when we started to date, relationships became even more puzzling because we tried to find that partner who would love us for who we were.
In many ways, that is a giant compromise because we're all unique and we all have different sets of experiences that have combined to merge the nature and nurture aspects of our complex personalities. Sometimes for sure, Oh my gosh, doesn't it all just seem too difficult to relate and try to connect, you know? Here's an example. You know, so many people would describe me as outgoing, but I remember breaking into hives at the night of my 20th year high
school reunion I bought. It was in June and I bought a turtleneck as AB Plan outfit because I was so worried what might happen when I walked in that room. Yet to my amazement, it turned out to be completely comfortable. It was so relaxing and mellow and what a fun evening. In fact, everyone seemed to have mellowed. The conversations were easy and kind, and as they've reflected on this, I've observed that age has somehow enabled me, and likely you too, to make new
friendships. If you're open to them, that resemble those spontaneous friendships. When we were kids, I connect more easily. Now the conversations seem to reach a deeper level, much faster. It's almost sometimes as if I've known the person for years. You know, gone are the days of worrying about every single word you know. This has been replaced with a new sense of valuing collaborations and a greater appreciation of the wisdom and the experience that others can bring to my life.
It's marvelous to be at a stage of life where we can be attuned. We can embrace the connectedness, the oneness that we can have with others. Time. We're very attuned to it as we get older, but it starts to lose, lose its impact in some ways, and love can start to rule the day. Meeting new people at midlife or any age, any age we're at, can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. So here are some ideas for the best ways to meet people at any stage of life.
You know, once you're out of, let's say, high school or college or situations where you are, you know, constantly being introduced to new people. If you have to go out of your ways, here are some things to do #1 is pursue your interests. Start there. You want to engage in activities and hobbies that you enjoy. Maybe it's a club, taking a class, participating in some community organization.
If you do that, you will naturally come into, you know, come into contact and be connecting with like minded people who share your passions. So right there, you'll already have a connection. Another thing is you've got to try to get more social. You've got to try to attend some social events. Look for events or gatherings within your community meetings, meet ups, parties, local networking events, Things that you may be your Community Center
or church or synagogue. Wherever you go, these provide opportunities for you to meet new people and expand your networking circle and social circle 3A. Really good one is volunteer. Find a 'cause that you are passionate about and volunteer. Look for one that resonates with what's important. This allows you not only to contribute to your community, but it also provides a chance for you to meet others who share your values and interests. #4
could be online communities. You can explore platforms that you know are for other people within your age range. There are all kinds of websites and forums where you can connect with individuals that are a similar stage of life and have similar interests to you and share common experiences. And then you can decide, you know, if you want those to be local networks you get involved with, or if you find enough connection, you know in that digital way.
Another thing #5, would be taking classes or workshops. If you sign up for classes or workshops that interest you, it could be anything. There are so many good to think classes. There's art, there's cooking, there's taking a fitness Class, A dance class, maybe a personal development Class, A hypnosis session. Something where you some kind of an adult education where you can develop camaraderie 'cause that's what these foster.
They foster a sense of camaraderie with other people who are also looking for opportunities to grow, learn, meet and connect. Six is join support groups. You know, a lot of people hit an event or a situation in life where you really need support. It could be that you've decided not to drink, that you've decided alcohol isn't constructive in your life. It could be that someone's died in your life. That's very important to you. It could be that you're grieving for any number of reasons.
Well, during these phases it's really a great idea to consider getting involved with a support group. These groups offer a safe under and an understanding environment because you are immediately with others that have gone through a similar experience and are facing similar challenges. They might not be exactly the same, but you're going to have a lot of things in common with people you meet in support groups #7 could be try a professional networking meeting.
Whether you are looking to restart a career or expand your career, get more involved in your career. Learn more about your career. There are always networking opportunities within communities where you can expand your professional network by attending industry conferences, seminars, or networking events. Any of these gatherings gives you give you opportunities to meet new people in your field or maybe even explore a different career path that you didn't
consider. #8 could be travel or group tours. So you might want to consider getting involved with a group tour and sharing travel experiences with others that are also around your age and interested in meeting and connecting. And travel tours don't need to be expensive. I mean, right at the corner, you know where I am. People hop on a bus and go to, you know, another city for the day. And so it doesn't have to be a plane trip, it doesn't have to
be a cruise. But those could be really great depending on your budget. And during these, go with the idea that you're going to speak to people and connect so you can go to new destinations while meeting fellow travellers who might become your new lifelong friends, making meaningful connections, building new relationships. It's going to take some time and effort, but you can be open, you can choose to be approachable, you can be willing to initiate
conversations. So don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Embrace new experiences and with patience and persistence. Before you know it, you'll have an opportunities to meet interesting individuals and develop some rewarding relationships. And when you do, please make sure you let me know how those are going. I'd love to hear all about it. You can find the extended version of this podcast in written form on my website Silver Disobedience dot Rocks.
And I do hope you subscribe here to this podcast. You can, but again, you can also. Besides seeing the visual and hearing me here, you can also find inspiration daily on my website Silver Disobedience dot Rocks and on my social media pages under at Silver Disobedience again, thank you. I'm Diane Grisel, also known as Silver Disobedience. Don't forget to subscribe. Thanks a lot.