Virtual communities are more than just talk with fingertips and keyboards. They can serve as a real vehicle to connect with one another and inspire action through words.

In 2006, my friend Deborah, a marketing-savvy entrepreneur living in Oakley, started Girlfriendology.com, a virtual community for women. Now her talk crosses state lines as she connects women from coast to coast with one another, resources and reinforcement. Engaging in this community conversation, you can connect with women from South Africa, England, Egypt, India, Iran, Japan and everywhere in between!

Through research and reading, Deborah learned that this need for girlfriends was biological. Having girlfriends reduces stress, makes us healthier and certainly makes life a lot more fun. OK, interesting. Seriously, men, how can you argue with that?

Friendships make us more compassionate, aware, caring and stronger. Using conversation as the catalyst, together we can change the world one conversation, one friendship at a time. If you talk with people and get to know them, you care more about them, right? It happens in the office, on the streets, at the clubs, online, with the baseball team.

Today I challenge you to talk with someone you don't know. Yep. A stranger. You're not a child anymore. You can talk to new people. Be bold, compassionate, curious and rewarded. Talk with someone who looks completely different than you do. Smile. What's the worst that can happen?  What did happen?