When I started to blog about it I began to communicate with people all over the world, had icons of the art/sport contact me through my site and have been nominated for best BJJ blog two years in a row. I didn’t win though

I have also found that if you are truly passionate about what you do you will have no problems in attracting people to your social media work either. By the way I get more people to go to my hobby (passion) social media sites than any other blogs I work on.

Bakari’s last blog post..Try and Relax….

@ Roger – That was the suggestion from Leo’s readers that I liked the most. If you’re happy yourself you will likely find yourself in good positive company it’s great!

@ Jay – That’s a great point, I find when I’m down as well that’s when I want to retreat and just be alone but it’s actually the time I should be with good positive people to help get me out of my funk!

@ Positively Present – I’d agree with that. It’s easy to meet people that share a common interest if you are able to participate in a public activity that interests you. Hopefully the people you meet will be interesting enough that you’ll truly and sincerely enjoy their company.

@ Matthew – That’s great and I can totally relate! Awareness is really important at the beginning when establishing any relationship. Being willing to accept others openly (at least at first) gives you a chance to see what they are really like and you’re less likely to miss out on a potentially great relationship even if the “first impressions” are a bit off.

@ Jocelyn – I totally agree that differences are good too! I think having at least one common tie opens the door to establishing a relationship but the differences can certainly make it interesting

@ David – I know exactly where you’re coming from. I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve so you pretty well know where I am at any given moment. Gwynn on the other hand is very reserved and introverted which also gives people bad impressions. People tend to think he’s ticked, in a bad mood or uninterested because he’s quiet and doesn’t wear his emotions on his sleeves, when in actuality he can be in a great mood. It’s good to know that showing it worked well for finally making you a social person.

@ Liara – You’re right happiness is definitely a choice and that’s not always obvious to people. I’m glad you found us it’s great to have you here. Nadia’s site is wonderful so happy and positive, if any of you haven’t checked out her site yet you should http://www.happylotus.com

@ Chania girl – Welcome and thank you for the kind words! It took a while to get through all the comments but it was a great exercise. Like I say in my post the responses to Leo’s question would have been really encouraging. I think it’s great that you took stock of the relationships you had, ended the ones that weren’t working for you and established new ones.

We moved to Adelaide, South Australia in early 2002 and moved back to Canada in late 2005. It was a great experience and such a lovely place to live for that time. We visited Melbourne several times while we were there and LOVED that city! Thanks so much for your comment.

At one time, I was surrounded by a bunch of friends that weren’t friends I really wanted to have — negative people, jealous, competitive, eager to complain or jump on someone with little provocation. (I know. How did I end up with them?) Anyway … I basically let go of those friendships and learned to create new ones with the kind of friends I’d want.

A couple of things (in addition to your list) that helped me were to:
~be my own best friend first
~become the kind of friend others would want to have
~go with my gut – I’ve never proved it wrong, but it’s seen me fall flat on my face a couple of times

p.s. Where are you in Australia? My fiance is from Melbourne (the Ashburton area).

Chania Girl’s last blog post..The Hostess With the Mostest?

Liara Covert’s last blog post..Unleash the real you!

I am astounded at the growing potential for social media. I’m getting to know a lot of people who I’ve never met in the flesh. We can never imagine where it’ll be in 5 or 10 years.

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Positively Present’s last blog post..13 ways you distort your thoughts (and how to stop doing it)

It can be hard when I’m in a depressed state, because usually, that’s when I feel like I need to make friends even more so than when I’m *not* depressed. One trick that I have learned is to rely on established friendships when feeling down, but to search out new friendships when I’m feeling more positive and upbeat. In that way, I can attract more people who are naturally positive, and can help me when I’m feeling down, just as I try to help them when they are feeling down. I think one of the oldest sayings is the most true: To get a friend, be a friend.

Jay Schryer’s last blog post..Naming Desires

Excellent tips! My favorite is “Be happy yourself”. I’ve found that when I’m happy that it’s very easy to meet other people that are also happy. Unfortunately, the converse is also true.

Roger – A Content Life’s last blog post..Meditation for Beginners (Week 1) – Introduction