You may never know the impact of a smile, a kind word, a “No, you go first!”. Many people are going through their day in a daze of thoughts and worries, virtually sleeping awake. When you are fully awake and aware of your body in space at this moment, it is not unlike putting on your glasses when you didn’t even realize your vision was blurred. Take a moment and try it, especially when you are in a public place. You will see people in their heads, you will see blank eyes, you will see others talking and interacting, and you will make eye contact with someone who is also awake. Smile and appreciate that fleeting connection, the recognition of another soul momentarily brought into the present moment.
I think we are so used to the hum in our heads, the constant commentary that is going on, “I am thirsty, man I need to get a manicure, I wonder if it’s going to rain today, is he going to get to work on time? What am I going to make for dinner, shoot I hate going to the grocery store. I need to stop eating crap late at night. Those bananas are overripe I should make banana bread.” If you think you don’t have all of that an more going through your head at any given moment just pause and listen. That voice that says “I don’t hear anything” is the voice I am talking about. It is so familiar to us, it has been in there talking our whole lives, so we don’t even notice it, until we do. That voice can be silenced for a time, but it can also be retrained. It takes practice, and noticing it, and quieting it when you can so that you can smile and connect with another human being. This is when souls talk to each other, through silence and a smile.