Happy Wellness Wednesday!
I decided to write this blog post after hearing from many of my friends how they struggle with making new friends.
If you still didn’t read this blog post with practical tips to grow your connections and meet like-minded people, go here.
When I first moved to Dubai in 2010, I had moments when I felt really alone and sad. I felt so disconnected and isolated.
After almost four years of deep inner work and healing, I realized that I was standing in my own way.
I discovered that it wasn’t the city or the people that weren’t a good fit. It was simply my limiting beliefs about myself.
Why you need to do the Inner Work
Do you feel like you’re not good enough or you don’t feel confident? If so, it will be challenging for you to attract positive connections.
The way you value yourself is reflected in your relationships with others. So if you feel insecure or don’t see your self-worth, then trust that no one else can see it either.
Another major reason why you can’t meet like-minded people and make new friends is that you don’t know your true self. We all have been conditioned to think, act and speak in certain ways. Behind all these thoughts and actions are beliefs that you took on from your caretakers.
What do you do if you still carry those false beliefs about yourself and life? First work on replacing these beliefs before you can attract new healthy connections.
It’s also impossible for you to find your tribe or people who really get you when you don’t even know who you are at your core and authentic self.
Sometimes, all you need to do is Trust
I want to share a story about how I met my Bali friends who are so genuine and thoughtful. We’re also so similar in our strong, independent and confident personalities.
On my first ever Bali trip in September of 2016, I visited a sleep beachside town called Sanur right before a wellness retreat in Ubud.
I was at my hotel’s bar at sunset one evening and I met an American lady who sat right next to me.
To clarify, I wasn’t out in the hope of making new friends. I was actually looking for love.
The American lady was a year younger than me, smart, independent, strong and a solo traveller just like me.
We connected and spent time together in the next few days before she left back to the U.S.
She was very outgoing and sociable, and she met an Indonesian lady and her mother at the local Starbucks the next day. As such, she later introduced me to that lady.
Ceria became one of my good friends in Bali. Although she’s in her twenties, we really connected and became friends so quickly.
Making New Friends
At my next Bali trip and my first visit to Canggu, Ceria introduced me to Vanessa. A kind, spiritual, thoughtful and independent soul who became my other close friend in the mystical island.
Since then, whenever I’m in Bali, we connect and hang out and they’ve been such genuine and real friends to me in a way that I never imagined was possible!
The Universe connected me to these beautiful soul sisters through that American solo traveler for a reason.
Part of my healing journey and coming back to my true self was building authentic relationships with female friends.
You can read more about how bonding with the female tribe and deepening your female friendships is related to spiritual growth and manifestation in this previous blog post.
Soul Collective Coaching
Because I truly believe that if you’ve tried all of the practical tips in this list and you’re still finding it challenging to make friends, then you really need to work on releasing your limiting beliefs and learning how to be vulnerable and open when connecting with others.
If you feel called to work with a certified Life Coach, then please subscribe to my Soul Collective newsletter to stay updated for when I re-open my coaching sessions’ booking.
Until then, feel free to ask any questions that you might have about this topic!
making new friends
