Find A Third Place that Makes You Smile
by Jordan Myska Allen, a lover of life and entrepreneur. He acts as a psychological, spiritual, and professional consultant and practices applied integral thinking.
One thing that makes me smile is when the coffee shop barista knows my name and remembers my order. When my barber (stylist?) and I can chat about my friends who also get their hair cut at his salon, and when I ask the server at the Kerbey Lane about his son or his new xBox. At these places I feel like a local.
If you aren’t a regular at some local spot—cafe, coffee shop, salon, yoga studio, bar, bookstore, or other community center—consider finding a place where your presence is appreciated and your absence is missed, but you have absolutely no pressure to be there.
There’s an idea floating around called the Third Place. This is a place people hang out at that isn’t home or work. Some consider this third place to be the happiest of all, so if you’re going to be a regular somewhere you might consider finding one that fits the criteria Ray Oldenburg laid out in his book “The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community.”
Third places share 7 common characteristics (1):
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People can come and go without penalty
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Status differences don’t matter
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Conversation is the main activity
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They’re accessible—long hours, easy to get to, no reservations needed
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They have regulars
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They’re physically plain and unpretentious
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The dominant mood is playful
Sounds like a happy place, eh? Combine this with other health and happiness inducing habits, and you’ve got a recipe for good living.
What are some of your favorite third places? Where are you a regular? Is there anywhere in your life you might shift your habits to become one?