We, as humans, are social creatures. We always will be, and always have been, ever since the old days of running around chasing mammoths and getting mauled by Sabretooths. One of the biggest assets our race has - and one of our chief advantages over just about anything else in the natural world that wants to kill us - is the ability for us to connect, support one another and work together. Further from just a survivalist standpoint, however, is simply the pleasure of relationships. What is life that is not shared or spent with others? Hell, it’s like the old saying goes, “If a tree falls in the forest, and there’s no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?” The same goes for all of us as we wind around the corners, sliding through the ups and downs of this roller-coaster called life. After all, what’s the fun in life if you have no one to share it with?
Being away from home every day is teaching me that the term “home” itself doesn’t really refer to a place really, so much as it does a state of mind. For example, yeah I try my best to stay in contact with the people I know and care for back in the states, but there does come a point to where that detracts from my experiences away, in a new place. Aside from writing a weekly column, the game plan that I’ve come to adopt is forging a new path… As cliché as it may sound, I’m down here trying my hardest to make every damned day an adventure – and part of that includes meeting as many new people along the way as I can.
It’s funny, you’ll hear that as we get older, making friends gets harder, but in reality, it’s not that anything becomes more difficult so much as we become impeded by our own availability. For this, it’s inevitable. Take me about a year ago – I just graduated from school and along with the rest of my peers, I was searching for a full-time spot in the workforce somewhere, in hopes of making some serious money. Yes, student loans are a bitch, and yes, unfortunately, everything does cost money, so to an extent, having that full-time job is a must. However, more than just having to work for money, the real cost of having a job is that of time. Once you’re in a regimented spot on an employee roster somewhere, it becomes harder to get out and about – even to encounter other, new people along the way. That’s why regardless of what place one is at in the professional world, it’s always important to make time for oneself. Not only to make time for oneself, but to treat each day as if it is something completely new, and actively look for new things in everyday life – positive things.
The girl working on the floor below that always takes the elevator up with you in the morning? Say hi. Introduce yourself.
That dude in the line in front of you at Starbucks? Guess what, he’s there for the same reason you are. Why not ask what’s up?
The chick sitting next to you in the airport terminal? Chances are she’s bored as shit waiting for the same flight you are – see what her story is.
It’s the small gestures and actions of everyday life that make a big difference in the long run – you never know how easy it can be to brighten someone’s day with a random act of kindness.
Stories… Those are what has always fascinated me, ever since I was a kid. There’s something about seeing the eyes light up on someone’s face as they’re talking about something they’re passionate about or the contagious smiles that accompany a conversation of shared interest, or, hell, in my case, the laughs I get when I recite some ludicrous story of my own. Everybody on this planet has their own story, and each one different than the other. Chances are, every one of us comes into contact with other humans on a daily basis, and too often these interactions are merely transactional – on only a must basis, but why do we only feel obligated to make connections when it’s convenient? Everybody is out writing their own stories every day, why not be a part of them?
The biggest thing to take away from all of my human bonding, kumbaya type chatter is one simple philosophy – the Law of Attraction. Around the entire world, among all walks of life, positive attracts positive. Don’t be a dick! Just be nice and genuine to souls you encounter on the daily, and good things will come of it. Even in first encounters, it’s readily apparent when another human shares this philosophy; it’s almost like they just radiate positivity, and nothing is better than being around other’s that bring out the best in you. The people that make you smile. The people that make you laugh. They’re all out there! You just haven’t met them all yet.
