How to Meet New Neighbors Successfully
“It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won’t you be my neighbor?”
If only making friends with your new neighborhood would be as easy as singing this nostalgic song of Mr. Rogers. But, wait, it is! While meeting your new neighbors after a move may seem intimidating at first, following these steps will make it seem as easy as putting on and taking off a cardigan sweater!
One Kind Word
Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered, as a matter of course, just one kind word to another person.
Mr. Rogers Meeting your neighbor does not have to involve you pounding on their door with a list of get-to-know-you interrogation questions. You can simply start with a smile, maybe a hello and a kind phrase like “Have a nice day!” That’s it. You’ve started a relationship with your neighbor. Simple as that!
Come Out to Play
The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self.
Mr. Rogers If you stay hidden away in your house all day, every day, your neighbors will not have the pleasure of meeting you. Hang out on your porch while sipping on some coffee. Maybe one day choose to water the grass yourself with the hose instead of letting the automatic sprinklers do it. Strike up a conversation when you see your neighbor as you get your mail. Take as many opportunities to get out there and make yourself known!
Help Out
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.
Mr. Rogers Another great way to make connections with your neighbors is to give them a helping hand! Help someone bring in their groceries, take out the trash or hold the ladder while they string their Christmas lights. Consider offering to dog sit or collect their mail while they are on vacation. You might even surprise them by doing some random acts of kindness like bringing them a coffee, raking their leaves or baking them cookies. People always need help and are often more receptive to you once you’ve solved a problem that makes their life a bit easier.
Make It Your Community
We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.
Mr. Rogers A great way to get to know your new community is to become a part of it. Get involved by volunteering for a community event, participating in a local race for a cause or simply attend the neighborhood spaghetti feed. By doing so, not only will you feel more like you belong, but now you have something in common to talk about with your neighbors.
Invite Your Neighbors for Dinner
The connections we make in the course of a life--maybe that's what heaven is.
Mr. Rogers A great way to get to know your neighbors is to invite them over for a housewarming party or a backyard cookout. Consider visiting each neighbor personally to invite them to your party. That way they know that it’s a genuine invitation and that you truly want to get to know them. When you welcome people into your home, you show them that you are trustworthy, approachable and care about your community and the people in it. Plus, it’s a lot easier to get to know people in the relaxed comforts of your own home.
Conclusion
If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.
Mr. Rogers Meeting new people may not be the easiest for everyone, but once you start getting to know your neighbors and involving yourself more in your community, your new home will start to feel, well, homier. If you’re ready to move and need a reliable, community-oriented moving company, give the professional movers and Moving Forward San Francisco a call for a FREE quote!
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