When I was 29, my coach, Johnny, gave me an unforgettable piece of advice.

I was just starting to get interested in building healthier relationships, and had been running in circles trying to ease my feelings of anxiety in social interactions. But, like most beginners, I was making a lot of mistakes: overthinking my response, not actively listening to the speaker, and feeling self-conscious.

Until one day, Johnny said to me:

"Remember the 3 C's: Calm, Compassionate, Curious"

That day, my whole life changed.

This mindset shift exponentially improved the quality of my connections by: bringing a sense of calm to the interaction, showing compassion towards myself and others, and actively participating in the conversation by being genuinely interested.

Instead of coming mentally unprepared to social interactions, I remembered to set the intention beforehand to be calm, compassionate, and curious.