Soft thoughts on self-care in a recent New York Times essay "Why You Need a Network of Low-Stakes, Casual Friendships" by Allie Volpe:

• You'll feel more connected
• Your social circles will expand
• Acquaintances provide a wider worldview

Volpe's list of gentle practices:

• Give yourself permission to talk to familiar faces — try chatting with a new person every week
• Shift your attitudes — anticipate that something good may emerge from any random conversation
• Mirror an expert's behavior — observe people who seem effortless at casual exchanges and emulate their style
• Make the conversations meaningful — allow a random encounter to flower into a deeper, broader, higher connection

... all in the spirit of acceptance and openness to possibility — "Something wonderful may be about to happen!"

_{(cf Opening to Love (2013-09-27), Ground of Being (2013-10-03), Virtues of Softness (2014-03-20), Rilke on Being Human (2015-04-22), Wings of Acceptance (2015-05-26), Taiji Mnemonic Principles (2017-09-15), Mindfulness in Three Words (2018-06-13), Meditation Map (2019-01-19), ...) - ^z - 2019-05-19}