Linda Graham, MFT and author of Resilience and Bouncing Back, looks at the two pillars of healthy social connections and provides exercises in how to cultivate them.  
I regularly experience the power of wisely connecting with my fellow human beings in a special way: to drive from home to work I have to pass through a 4-way stop sign intersection.  All drivers have to figure out who’s going through the intersection next. No verbal communication, sometimes a friendly wave through.  We all figure it out quietly, respectfully.  A sense of connection in a 10-second community of fellow travelers that brings a smile to my heart.
Many, many research studies these days document the importance of healthy social connections for  enjoyment and fulfillment in living, especially as we get older. (See the excellent if densely scientific Promoting Healthy, Meaningful Aging through Social Involvement from the National Institute of Health.)
Let’s look at the two pillars of healthy social connections – common humanity (we’re all the same) and theory of mind (we’re each different), part of this month’s focus on skills of relational intelligence that support healthy, resonant relationships.  My shared humanity at the all-stop intersection, along with we are each making our own decisions in that moment, is a small example of that much

Originally published at http://loveandlifetoolbox.com