Thousands of songs about being lonely. What if a conversation could’ve changed the chorus?
I fancy myself a bit of a music guy. Not an aficionado or a snob by any means, but I think I know my stuff.
I was recently searching for a particular song with the word lonely in its name (I’ll let you guess which) and learned that there are thousands of songs with this word in the title.
From Ray Charles’ “Lonely Avenue” (a classic, if you ask me) to a more recent, Sam Feldt “Lonely Tonight” (a loungy electro number) … to literally thousands in between.
Loneliness is not a new phenomenon, but it is a growing one.
You’ve likely seen some of the stats and headlines:
In 2018, the UK appointed a Minister for Loneliness. (Yes, this was a real position.)
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a formal advisory framing loneliness and isolation as major health concerns on par with smoking.
Here’s what’s becoming clearer: loneliness doesn’t just weigh on your heart — it can dull your courage, slow your momentum, and make it harder to remember why you started.
No wonder everyone is singing about this.
So. Besides singing, what do we do about it?
Well, a quick Google will throw thousands of ideas at you. Most of them are the usual suspects.
But here’s a favourite of mine that’s particularly underappreciated.
Maybe even feared a little:
Talk to strangers.
(Hat tip to Joe Keohane and The Power of Strangers.)
I know that we were all raised on stranger danger. And to be clear, I’m not suggesting you hand over your bank details to someone in aisle 4 of your local supermarket.
But research consistently shows that chatting with strangers makes us happier, sharper, and more optimistic.
Who would have thought?
And if you’re a coach or interested in coach-like curiosity (which I’m guessing you might be, since you’re reading this), talking to strangers is actually really good practice.
Can you connect with someone without fixing, solving, or advising? Just connect.
Try it at a conference. In the queue for coffee. At the post office.
Or … start smaller.
Online is less intimidating. And all you need is the tiniest thread — incidental similarities — to begin:
“Oh hey, I live in your city!”
“Hey, I’m a coach as well!”
“Love your purple shirt, it’s my favourite colour.”
Small connections = big ripple.
Where can you try that this week? Or even, today?
And if you’re looking for a place where that kind of interaction feels not weird or forced, just welcome — well … that place exists.
It’s called The Conspiracy.
Doors open August 12th.
