“Meet everyone and everything through stillness rather than mental noise” – Eckhart Tolle
Day 25 – Say “Hello” And “How Are You” And Mean It
Often times we are so caught up in the chatter made by the voices in our head that we don’t really connect with the people we meet.
We say empty “hellos” and shallow “how are yous”. And we are not really interested in the other person’s answer.
Today, I invite you to get out of this routine and practice saying mindful “hellos”.
How To Do This: Put your heart into your “Hellos” and “How are yous?”! Whenever you salute anyone, be it your flatmates, your partner, the neighbor, the doorman, or your colleagues at work, take a few moments to really look into their eyes and offer them a few moments of genuine attention. In order to do that You need to step out of your mind and really listen to them, even if for a few seconds.
Practicing saying genuine “hello” and “how are you” throughout your day is an awesome way of practicing mindfulness.
Besides the obvious benefits for yourself, this little practice can have a beautiful impact on the people You meet.
When You give them the gift of your undivided attention, of your presence, even if for a few seconds, people are touched on a deep level even if they might not even realize it.
It’s like You are spreading small seeds of kindness and awareness while increasing your own mindfulness. And this is an awesome tool for our 30 days challenge to reconnect with our gut feeling.
I’ve practiced this exercise and I found that it can easily light up someone’s day. And mine. And if I add a little compliment to my “hello”, I see their eyes bright up and smile…and that moment is priceless. 🙂
So that’s my take on today’s exercise. I am very curious to find out about your experience with it, let me know in the comments bellow.
With all my love,
Raluca
Photos found on Pinterest