Episode 15: Propinquity

This is one of my new favorite words!  Tune in to find out what Propinquity means~

You're listening to the Love Tidbits Podcast, where you'll discover a small, tasty, delightful, bite-sized tidbit of love. I'm your host, LeAnn Austin 

Hey y'all, welcome to Love Tidbits, episode #15:  Propinquity 

I recently attended my cute daughter-in-law, Sarah's college graduation. We've had our two sons and our other daughter-in-law graduate within the past year, and it was wonderful to finally be able to attend a graduation ceremony in person.

It made my heart smile, watching all these graduates.  The excitement, the fear, the anticipation and anxiety, as they begin a new chapter in their lives.  Everything ran seamlessly, and the four talks given where some of the best I've ever heard. I told Sarah to please graduate every year so I could come listen to these amazing speakers.

I want to share a new word I learned from the president of the university, Kevin Worthen.  (Click HERE for link to full talk.)  It's called propinquity, and it means the state of being close to someone or something; nearness. President Worthen shared three things to make propinquity a more positive factor in our lives, and I want to touch on two of them today.

He said, "first consciously seek in-person contact with others." So much of our lives are digital and there are some benefits to that. But being near someone in-person is so important. I felt that as I sat in graduation, the community of humans from all over the world, celebrating accomplishments, it was truly glorious.  Doing that on zoom just doesn't have the same effect. We need propinquity. I challenge all of us to look for opportunities to be near other humans. 

Well, the second word of advice from President Worthen, "consciously seek positive in-person interaction with those with whom you disagree." I love this.  "People are increasingly polarized with respect to their views on almost every issue.  But, interacting with those whose opinions are different, can foster trust and respect. Being with and learning from those whom we disagree, strengthens understanding, and creates bonds of propinquity that will help us deal positively with our differences," President Worthen said. 

So I was thinking, what if we seek out interaction and learning from those whom we disagree? Hmmm.  One of my all time favorite quotes is, "You either love someone or you don't understand them."  What if we intentionally sought to understand those that we have a hard time loving? What if we were near them often, continually seeking to learn from and love them, no matter what our differences. 

Thank you Sarah, for graduating and giving me the opportunity to hear about, and experience propinquity, meaning the state of being close to someone or something; nearness.  

And a quote from Kevin Worthen to ponder, "The propinquity effect is a phenomenon, which explains the tendency of individuals to form close relationships with people they repeatedly encounter.  Hmmm, something to think about.  

Have a good one y'all, and here's to propinquity and love. 

If you would like to become an expert at loving yourself, check out my Lovin Me Program at leannaustin.com