Want To Cure Loneliness? Just Say Hello... - Be Yourself and the Rest Will Follow®

So, how’s the weather where you are?

It’s been pretty unpredictable here, but, dare I say it, I think spring is on its way!

Which means warmer temps, lots of sunshine (something I could live with year-round), and more walks at Chastain Park – often with my dad, who loves to walk.

I love walks with my dad, because we talk about all kinds of things – life, current events, movies, you name it.

But my dad doesn’t just talk to me on our walks.

He does something not too many people seemingly do these days in our hectic and sometimes-keep-to-ourselves world.

He says “Hello” to fellow walkers as they pass by.

My mom and I sometimes chuckle a bit at my cute dad, saying that, wherever he goes, he meets no strangers.

But the truth is, my dad’s doing what Oprah’s trying to get all of us to do in her new campaign to fight loneliness … just say hello.

Have YOU ever felt lonely? Yes or no, this post is for you…

Did you know that, at any given time, approximately 60 million Americans (or one in five people) suffer from loneliness?^*

And that people who are lonely are more likely to experience memory loss (or dementia), suffer from heart disease and other negative consequences of stress, and die younger?^*

Let’s face it. Loneliness has more serious consequences than we might have otherwise thought.

It can be about more than just “feeling a little blue”.

But the good news is that there’s something each of us can do about it.

And it takes such little effort and such little time.

And it’s something we’d want others to do for us if we were feeling lonely. (Cue ‘empathy‘!)

We can, as Oprah suggests, “Just say hello“. (And smile, of course!)

Whether we’re standing in line at the grocery store, walking at the park or just to our cars, or something else, each of us can take a moment and smile at someone, and just say, “Hello”.

Or even a little more than that…small talk can go a long way in making someone else’s day.

Will you join me in participating in Oprah’s campaign?

So, this week’s post is somewhat short and sweet. No tips. No advice.

Just a request for you to watch the video below and join me in participating in Oprah’s Just Say Hello campaign.

Because a little ‘hello’ can make a BIG difference in fighting loneliness. And it can change YOUR life too. (Psst…helping others can tend to do that! 🙂 )

So, the next time you’re out and about, I hope you’ll “say hello” to those you pass by.

Because you never know whether those people could be part of the 60 million who are feeling alone.

And who, by just hearing your ‘hello’, feel a bit better.

If you’d like to help Oprah (and me) spread the word about her new campaign and inspire others to “Just say hello”, either use one of the share buttons at the top or bottom of this post, or email them this URL: http://beyourselfandtherestwillfollow.com/just-say-hello/

To fighting loneliness,