7. Avoid technology traps.
Smartphones, social networking, instant messaging—thank goodness for the many advances that can help us keep each other close, and that can expose us to many people we would never have known before. But the negatives can trick us into missing out on the stuff of true emotional sustenance. When we rely too much on our screens instead of our faces and voices, our interactions can be dehumanized. Face-to-face and even voice-to-voice contact bring a level of spontaneity, warmth, and engagement that our souls were not meant to be without. The next time you’re lucky enough to be sitting across from a friend over coffee, pile your phones up in the middle of the table, and the first one to reach for theirs pays the tab