How to Find People You Like

This is not about dating although dating and even love may evolve for you once you get out in the water and try these avenues to friendship and social networking. This is about finding people you can have fun with and who can enrich your life, in short, this is about finding friends.

In a world that makes it so easy to stay inside, plug into or turn on to a virtual community you can find yourself very alone when the electricity goes out. There is a part of the whole interaction on-line that isn't real. While playing games, watching television, listening to news shows, chatting and other interaction on-line is entertaining it can be an empty experience for many. But how do you make friends without putting yourself in danger? We do so by cultivating friendships in the public arena.

Real human interaction is crucial to personal growth and the basic human need for interaction. Even if you are an introvert shutting yourself off from other humans can have long range mental, physical and emotional health consequences. How to cultivate meaningful relationships in today's fast paced world is an art. There are relationship sites, hobby sites, speed dating, and support networks but they are largely based on what people tell you about themselves and that can be very different from reality.

Finding real people to cultivate friendships with outside the workplace and outside of support groups related to our problems, not our successes, is key to a happy and healthy social life. It can also help you define what is important to you and give you a clear idea of who you are now and who you want to be. It can increase your awareness of social cues and help build your ability to interact in a positive manner.

There are places to look for social groups related to what you enjoy. You can find them in the local newspaper. Many groups place an ad in the newspaper stating they will have a meeting and they usually have a phone number where you can call, get a feel for the group activities and get a contact who will expect your visit. These groups meet in public places or homes. It is safest to attend the groups that meet in public places and always leave contact information for the group with your loved ones. This is not to say attending groups is dangerous but it is good for people to know where you are in general.

Meetup.com is a great resource for groups of people who enjoy the same things you do. They run the gamete of adventures. Everything from "Big Foot hunting trips with crypto-zoologists to film and movie making, writing, and scrap booking groups and much, much more. If you don't see one that interests you create your own group tailored to your own interests and sit back and wait for others to sign up for your group. Either way you meet people who share your interests and it gives you a venue to try new and interesting things you may not have attempted otherwise. While it takes courage to attend a first meeting the participants are usually warm and inviting as they too had a first visit. This not only provides for, "in person," interaction but also a resource for building friendships on-line within the meet-up groups.

Volunteering is another way to find friends who have similar interests. Don't limit yourself to the big associations. If you love horses, volunteer at a local riding stable and in that way you may meet others who share a love of horses. You can volunteer to teach something you like to teach to a group of people you would like to get to know better. You can volunteer to be a part of a mentorship program where you are either a mentee or mentor others and through that you not only help others but become part of a network of people who are also people interested in giving and achieving. The sky is the limit.

You can get a list of civic groups though your local Chamber of Commerce and that is a resource for finding people who share common ideals that may lead to friendships and an active social calendar as well.

Many larger cities have groups dedicated to outdoor activities and they are a super resource for not only things to do but ways to get together and make friends. You can get fresh air, find reasons to laugh and get active in fun ways that don't feel so much like exercise.

So, as you can see, finding people you like is as easy as defining your own areas of interest and then doing a little research in your own area, making contact with the groups and then go to a few meetings. Not all of the meetings you attend will interest you. That is okay. You are in the driver's seat. You can move on and try something else or start another group that does a better job of meeting your interests.