Plainly affection is an emotion, but it's likewise much more than that. Among the key choices you face in each encounter is the choice to draw close or avoid. You are able to attempt to connect with individuals, or you are able to retreat from them. You are able to absorb yourself in your day's work, or you are able to dillydally. You may approach any individual, place, or thing with the aim to connect, or you may stay distant.

The decision to connect is the core of affection. Daily you're compelled to make connection choices. By your actions you choose what to associate with and what to void. If you wish to grow consciously, you must intentionally choose which connections you'll fortify and which you'll let soften.

Such selections ultimately decide the shape of your life. In the long-term, your life becomes an expression of what you decide to connect with most often.

Besides connection, there are some additional aspects of affection that we'll explore in this book.