Many of us tend to underestimate the positive impact that a text or email sent to a friend to let them know you’re thinking of them or ask how they are doing can have on them. So, if the impact is going to be low, why bother doing it? On the other hand, several recent research studies, reported in an article by Catherine Pearson which was published in the New York Times show that the impact is huge—even among busy people. It turns out these seemingly insignificant little communications are always meaningful to the people receiving them and, in many cases, they make their day! So, sending these texts and emails to our friends is a very good thing to do; especially since it costs nothing. On the other hand, are there any benefits for the people who send these emails and texts besides feeling good? The answer is yes, there is a major benefit. Marisa Franco, one of the professors quoted in the article points out that sending these brief communications out on a regular basis keeps us connected to our friends. She goes on to say, “To be functioning at our best, we need to be in a connected state…Just as you need to eat, like you need to drink, you need to be connected to be functioning well.” This is a huge benefit!!

One Sentence Wisdom

• “I remind myself that I’m always more satisfied by human interaction than by a digital connection.” –Maulik Pancholy
• “Healing yourself is connected with healing others.” — Yoko Ono