While happiness books are all the rage, none begin by showing us the inescapable first step to connecting with others.   Yet having social ties is the single best predictor of a longer, healthier, more satisfying life. 
That seemingly mundane step? Attention.
When hired by Disney to observe what infants and toddlers paid the most attention to at [...]

Recently two friends broke trust with me. One offered to do something that was vital to me, didn’t and didn’t tell me. Another shared private information about me with a stranger who then told several people who work with me.
I don’t know which betrayal felt worse. I do know they can be seen as an [...]

Brisk early morning walks along the Sausalito waterfront as the sun comes up over Angel Island are somehow sweeter, when shared with a friend or three.

Walking in step in the fresh air, pointing, turning – all that motion makes unexpected memories come to mind. Talk is unexpected, sometimes more candid yet one comes home refreshed, [...]

Even when blindfolded, when touched just fleetingly we often recognize the emotion behind it. Even when touched by a stranger. Those touched in the study could identify the emotion (from eight, ranging from disgust to sympathy) more often than could happen by chance. Yet they were touched just five seconds.
More surprising to me, is that we are more [...]

… do you have relatives or friends you can count on to help you whenever you need them?”  That’s one question in Gallup’s recent poll of 140 countries. It turns out that the wealthier and more stable your country the more likely it is that you have friends to whom you can turn. 

(Guess which country tops the list, [...]

Four college-age Canadians’ bus broke down in here in Sausalito last year so they continued their campaign here – to inspire others to create their Top 100 things list:  A part of their credo: For every item they complete on their list, they help a stranger achieve one of their dreams. These childhood friends’ camaraderie, plan and sense of purpose (three great Me2We traits) have pulled  others into their slipstream including my friend Jan [...]

That’s what Loopt founder, Sam Ashton did at the huge Consumer Electronics Show.  How?  Like his contacts he used Loopt to make his whereabouts known. Find friends out shopping on a nearby street or out dining at a restaurant in the same neighborhood. 

Willing to lose locational privacy to find selected friends or colleagues? Increasingly people are –and this may be somewhat age-related.  Brave ones like Ben Hoffman, are using it to find [...]

When meeting Natasha, photographer Rick Smolan never imagined she’d be an emotional thread of continuity for his life. Human stories take unexpected turns, especially next year. 

I’ve got your back and you’ve got mine. That’s a mighty welcome feeling as we enter 2009.  Why?  Because, more than any of the last 25 years, 2009 will crackle with change, unexpected loss and fresh opportunities to [...]

The sweet scent of the narcissus plant wafts upstairs to me just like the lingering memory of my uphill neighbors, an always upbeat Irish couple in their early eighties.  Stopping off on their daily walk, they knocked on my door early this morning to deliver the plant, their holiday gift, knowing I would be up [...]

Discover mini-philosophies of life, expressed as whimsical diagrams. They are addictive when drawn with deadpan humor by Jessica Hagy. Find more at Indexed. Bet you can’t view just one. These seemed to express Me2We-style sentiments.
BTW, she was a 2007 Webby Awards honoree in 2007. The New York Times and

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