I heard something on a podcast that shifted my reality: Some men go months without being hugged. The guest said: “Men can’t solve loneliness, touch starvation, or isolation on their own. Unless everyone who’s listening to this goes out and hugs a man, no one will.” The second I heard this, I kid you not, I decided to hug as many people as possible at the weekly event I host. Especially men I feel subtle resistance towards when I meet them for the first time. You know that flickering moment when your gut whispers “I don’t want to hug this person” and you shake their hand instead? Or avoid contact entirely? I push past that moment of resistance and try to greet them like a good friend. Because if I have such an open heart and spirit, and even I don’t want to hug this person… who will? I’ll never know if I’m making a difference with this small, seconds-long gesture. But I can rest easier knowing that the men in my space don’t go months without a hug, which seriously made me tear up when I first heard it. We talk a lot about the loneliness crisis — so, what if we all decide to play a role in making small, seconds-long gestures towards a kinder and more connected world? It really can be as simple as hugging people more freely. 🤍