As you undoubtedly know, our society has become much more fragmented in recent years. All of America used to be able to connect at the office water cooler by joking about the most-watched show on TV the previous night. Today, people work remotely, live TV isn’t really a thing, and everyone is following the fake lives of strangers instead of their own friends and family.

But! This fragmentation provides great opportunities to build communities of like-minded individuals who would have never been able to find each other. The key is to get into EXACTLY whatever it is you’re into. You’ll no doubt find groups online and off. If you live in a smaller town, you may need to broaden those interests, but people are people everywhere and we really haven’t changed all that much. We all still love meeting new people and having interesting conversations.

The biggest key to connecting is being fully present. This is how we go deeper than platitudes and cliches and get into what’s really going on beneath the surface. Of course, not everyone will be receptive, but most people are. Not everyone will share your values, but you can be thankful that their values were made clear sooner rather than later. And one of my favorite quotes is, “Why would I expect everyone to like me, I don’t even like everyone.” But to connect, you gotta put yourself out there, be present, and keep on building your tribe.