Today I get a bit raw with you as I share some personal challenges and ways that I want to grow myself. I know is this can be a real struggle for others so wanted to share with you how I've grown in making more friends and my commitment to more meaningful friendships and deeper connection with others. It’s really common to feel lonely and it can be really lonely being an entrepreneur. You want more friends and to be more connected. When I was bullied as a kid it was a tough time for me and I noticed friendships with men were difficult for me. I was bullied by boys – so those friendships didn’t come naturally or feel safe to me and guys don’t find it as easy to reach out to guys as much. My friendship and loneliness journey for me over the years has been tough. I’ve got friends, but deep down within me there is still resistance. When things happen now, I’m aware of them. Things still grab me and take me down, but I get up faster. If you struggle with friendships, and you find yourself lonely there are some actionable tools you can use to help you. Don’t Wait You can feel like people don’t like you or you wonder why people don’t reach out or get back to you. That can cause you to stop reaching out because you’re waiting for people to reach out to you. You’re waiting for someone to ask if you want to go for a coffee or to an event. You see what other people are doing on social media and wonder why you weren’t invited. That can trigger negative emotions; if you’re not self-aware enough to catch them you can downward spiral into a depression. Negative feelings can lead to unhealthy soothing with drugs or alcohol. I go to meditation now to bring myself out of those times. Accept All Opportunities When you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve got a lot of work and you’re feeling tired it can be too easy to lock yourself in and not go out or socialize. It may be timing or your emotional state that stops you from wanting to leave your computer. Making excuses will keep you locked in your situation. I’ve started to start to say yes to everything I’m invited to; if you refuse an invitation once, people assume you’re not interested. You never know what one invitation will lead to. When you accept all invitations it means you’re opening yourself up to new opportunities and people. I’m naturally an introvert. I used to find it difficult to have eye contact with people and that would create anxiety for me. My phone would be the perfect distraction to look at instead of connecting with all the people around me. I would go to the food table at events to avoid speaking to people instead of taking the opportunity of being around people who were the life and soul of the party. They are great people to be around because they introduce new people to you. Reach Out It’s easy to become disconnected, but it is also easy to reconnect. I met a friend the other day. He liked my Facebook post and it reminded me of him. I sent him a text message to catch up and two days later, we met for lunch and reconnected. Yesterday I received a text message from him with an invitation to attend another event. From that one trigger I felt and took action on, I now have another opportunity to meet new people. Triggers are all around you. Use your trigger opportunities as your reminder to reach out. You know you feel lonely at times, so reach out and connect because other people feel isolated too. What’s Your Behavior? Everyone has habitual behaviors of connection. You need to be hyper-aware of the beliefs you have in place. What story do you have around friendships and loneliness? When it comes to loneliness, your routine is really important. What do you plan, what’s on your calendar? Identify what your go-to is when you feel lonely. What is the thing that you immediately do when you feel isolated, what do you do next? If you feel lonely and then go to food, what can you swap that with?