DAY 7  |  CONNECT

Expressions of Love

Today is about showing gratitude to the people in your life that lift you.

Because the gift of being loved and understood is perhaps the greatest gift of all, write down the names of at least seven friends and family members.  Then using the five love languages, reach out to each one over the next seven consecutive days and let them know you're thinking about them.  Repeat at least once each week.

Here are the five love languages:

• Words of Affirmation
• Acts of Service
• Receiving Gifts
• Quality Time
• Physical Touch

Want to deepen the connection?  Start a conversation with a romantic partner or a friend using one or all of the following questions.  The goal is to reveal something new about yourself and to learn something new about someone you love.

• Given the choice of anyone in the world, who would you want as a dinner guest?
• When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
• If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
• If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?
• Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?
• What do you value most in a friendship?
• What is your most treasured memory?
• For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

According to a study led by Arthur Aron called The Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness, “One key pattern associated with the development of a close relationship among peers is sustained, escalating, reciprocal, personal self-disclosure.”  In the study, Dr. Aron used a series of questions, broken up into three sets, to explore the idea of fostering closeness through mutual vulnerability.