So you want to meet people and expand your network? I did a presentation this weekend on connecting and the premise was; it’s not like we don’t know how, it’s just that we aren’t

As convenient as online friendships can be, they are no substitute for the real deal and the inability to make new and meaningful relationships is sadly becoming a reality for many of us in this technology age whether we admit it or not

In the movie Wall-E the future looks bleak as we all float around on lounge chairs, sipping sodas and playing virtual golf. It’s frightening because we see it happening little by little.

My friend Chris Harder once said “David Norrie is a guy who can make friends with a tree” and that’s not too far from the truth, I met a wonderful Douglas Fir  last week on a walk and we’re having coffee Tuesday to discuss going paperlessBut seriously, what can we do to expand our social or business network?

3 suggestions on how to grow your friends list outside of social media.

Fall in love with yourself again.
When you’re working on yourself you feel more confident in your words and posture. Health clubs, salons and coffee shops are great places to meet new people if you’re intentional and put down the smart phones and take off the ear buds.

I got this from an article by Margaret Manning and it’s brilliant. Chase Your Passions, Not People
When people tell you to “get out there and make friends,” they are telling you to chase people but there’s several problems with this approach. First, it puts other people on a pedestal. They are the prize to be won. Second, chasing other people simply doesn’t work. By this point in our lives, we know that the best way to push someone away is to follow them. The alternative is to approach relationship building from a position of strength. Chase your passions!

Get your church on! Congregations of faith are quickly becoming one of the last true bastions for human interaction of the look, hear, touch and smell variety. Meaning they’re not friendships you make over a router. Don’t have God in your life? Well, making new friends is a great excuse to find him.