The Quality of Our Conversations --> The Quality of Our Relationships
“The quality of your conversations determines the quality of your relationships.”
— Lisa Kalfus, Founder of Firestart Connections
Dear Rosies,
I was in a room with about two hundred people, from many walks of life and many countries, and one of the opening activities was a connection session led by Lisa Kalfus. In a world that often prioritizes speed over depth, Lisa has devoted her life’s work to helping people do the opposite: to deepen connection.
At a time when one-third of all people—and 61% of young people—say they often feel lonely, and one in two say they have no one to confide in, connecting more deeply is something we can do. Right now. Today. In this very moment. No money down, no app required—just presence. That simple act can make our lives, and the lives of others, profoundly better.
One practice Lisa recommends is asking better questions—open-ended, exploratory, and directed toward real understanding.
Here are some examples of open-ended questions:
What’s been alive for you lately?
What are you curious about? Excited about?
How did that experience shape you?
Can you tell me more about that?
What was the turning point for you?
What’s something you’ve been carrying that you haven’t spoken aloud?
Where do you feel that in your body?
What’s bringing you joy lately?
How has your perspective changed over time?
What are you learning about yourself right now?
Lately, I’ve been sitting with this question: How do we enjoy the benefits of staying connected through online platforms, while also protecting ourselves from the subtle manipulation and gaslighting embedded in the algorithms feeding us information? We’re devoting our next online community gathering to this theme, which we're calling Digital Discernment. These monthly gatherings are free and open to all—held at 10 AM Pacific Time on the third Sunday of each month. We come together to practice deep listening. I hope you’ll join us.
Finally for this week- mom's day is coming up. My mother died when I was young, and there are many questions I never got to ask her, so I'm pretty intentional about that with the people in my life now. We did a piece on talking to your mom about sexuality and life in a woman's body that has some question sparks in it, but of course it can be broadened far beyond that.
If you're doing gifts, I invite you to visit our curated collection of silky beauties, and if you don't yet have a copy of The Nine Lives of Woman, to consider that as a massive discussion starter!
With love,
Christine Marie Mason
Founder, Rosebud Woman
