Someone you know? Someone you just passed by? Some chance encounter, a clerk, someone on the subway, a child playing – anyone?
Or are you going through the day with…a grumpy look on your face? Expressing some other feelings – anger, frustration, fear, or…nothing at all?
We speak with more than our voice. How we show up physically to the world speaks as loudly as uttering words. People around us can see our emotions, thoughts, and feelings on our expressions and how we hold our bodies, even our distance away from others.
Some can even sense the energy of your thoughts and feelings outside you, simply by being near you.
What might you be saying to someone right now? Go look in the mirror, or take our your phone and turn on the selfie camera. If you saw yourself walking around, what are you saying now without words?
Now try this. Close your eyes. Think of someone you love deeply. Or a situation that brings you joy, like a place, time, or even a movie. Now open your eyes and look back at your mirror or selfie camera. What do you see now?
Is there maybe a small hint of a smile peeking at the corners of your mouth…? A twinkle in your eye? A glow to your skin?
And by the way, how are YOU feeling now?
It turns out that a brain scan study in 2010 by the Institute of Neuroscience in Taiwan showed that simply visualizing someone you loved could promote compassion and empathy for others in your brain.
Now an invitation. Go take that smile and find someone to talk to. What happened when you did? How was the conversation for you? And how did the other person respond?
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