How to Make Meaningful Connections and Overcome Loneliness with Marisa G. Franco

Do you wonder how vulnerable to get when you meet someone? Are you craving more real connections with other like-minded souls? You know your mental health depends on fostering friendships, and social isolation’s real, but you're busy, tired,  . . . . (blah blah blah . . . there goes the head again.)

Get ready to discover the secrets to unlocking lasting, meaningful friendships in your adult life. How to reconnect with others and practice self-care.

Listen as New York Times best-selling author, TEDx Speaker, and friendship & belonging expert Marisa G. Franco shares practical advice on how you can navigate the complexities of making and maintaining friendships as an adult and the science behind loneliness and social connections. Discover the power of vulnerability and the joy of building meaningful, lifelong connections.

“We tend to think of vulnerability as burdening people, but the research clearly finds that when we're disclosing intimate things, people like us more.” - Marisa (12:56)

You’ll get to learn valuable tips and strategies on how to overcome your fear of rejection and the misleading beliefs that might be hindering your ability to forge lasting friendships. Tune in as Lauren and Marisa explore how you can initiate, nurture, and cherish meaningful relationships in a world that often values romantic partnerships over platonic connections.

"If you want to be likable, you have to engage with people, show interest in them, initiate with them, tell them how much you like them, how much they mean to you.” - Marisa (22:03)

With insightful strategies and personal anecdotes, this episode offers a wealth of inspiration and guidance for anyone seeking to enrich their social circles and cultivate meaningful connections in their own lives.

In this episode:

• (01:04) - The challenges of making friends as an adult.
• (03:53) - Examining the expectations around romantic love and friendship
• (05:40) - The Liking Gap: How assuming that people like you can help you make friends
• (06:59) - People like you more than you think!
• (09:34) - How your friendships shift in different seasons of life
• (10:36) - Signs of social anxiety
• (12:57) - Vulnerability as a strength, not a burden
• (14:35) - Pursuing a hobby and community with others
• (18:02) - The role of social igniters
• (20:02) - Practical tools to overcome loneliness and combat isolation
• (21:02) - Marisa’s message of hope
• (21:39) - Overcoming covert avoidance

Resources & Links

52 Weeks of Hope

• https://www.52weeksofhope.com 
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyLA7Rb6E0PtKBhPGu1vcjA 
• https://www.facebook.com/52weeksofhope
• https://www.instagram.com/52weeksofhope 
• https://www.twitter.com/52weeksofhope
• Get your FREE Confidence and Clarity Growth Scorecard

Marisa G. Franco

• https://drmarisagfranco.com/
• https://drmarisagfranco.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=c6f4d416e18fc6aa93712de1c&id=21dffd28ef 
• https://instagram.com/DrMarisaGFranco 
• https://www.ted.com/talks/marisa_g_franco_the_secret_to_making_new_friends_as_an_adult?language=en