Catchy title, I know. If you are standing, please take a seat, relax, and breathe. Lower your heart rate, loosen up your body, and remove your body tension. If you do not have time to relax and read this, feel free to come back later. If you do though, make yourself comfortable, so you can read the rest of this article.
Everyone is always busy and always on the move. No one is trying to waste time because they are working on winning this "rat race," and continuing this meaningless cycle that we call "The American Dream". This dream, that people can't seem to wake up from, leads to stress and depression. One big reason is that we don't have time for anything that is self-healing or recreational. We only have time, or better yet make time, to be over-worked. At the end of the day, no one really wants that, and if you do, I am sorry to tell you, but you've got problems. You know what you do need to make time for? You need to make time to sit down and talk to someone. You think I'm ridiculous? Who is the one sitting down and doing it? That is right. You are. And you are taking the first step to be a better and healthier person.
Along with too much to do, when people actually 'make time,' they have too much to say, and most of their talk is irrelevant and unimportant. What I mean by unimportant is that no one really cares. Who cares what happened to him or her, or what's going on with celebrities, or in sports? How does useless talk like that relate to you? Is it because you will win a bet, or are you trying to stay in the gossip circle? Talk like that will get you nowhere.
If the conversation, by some miracle, gets good and important, as the person you are talking to is sharing something crucial about his or her life, please feel free to shut up for the first time. Think about what they are saying and not what your response is going to be. All you need to do is listen and learn, because you do not need to talk, you already know what you know. God, or the high power in which you believe, gave us two ears and one mouth. He or she did this with purpose, to remind us to listen carefully to not only what another person says, but also, what they do.
Don't you ever wonder if the person you are talking to has something to say? Remember to be thoughtful of the person at the other end. You don't gain much out of talking to someone, when you are the one dominating the conversation. By the end of the conversation, you probably have only shown that you can be disrespectful by not shutting up.
For example, silence was meaningful with the Lakota (indigenous people of the Great Plains) ,and silence before talking was done in the practice of true politeness, and regard for the rule that 'thought comes before speech'. So it is okay to not say something when you are with someone, but there is no need to take your cell phone out and try to break that "awkward moment". Rather than avoiding that moment, learn to embrace it. It means a lot to do so, because you are admiring each others' presence, and as soon as the phone comes out, one of you has just left the conversation. You never know what can be gained from making small talk. If the companion that you are with does not understand this, and they think you are weird because you say nothing, feel free to explain it to them, because who knows where the conversation can go?
Actually, you never know where any conversation can go or what it can do. You never know if the person you are talking to has lost faith in humanity and is thinking about to commit suicide, but because you talked to them about life, and how beautiful the world is, and people can be, their world changed for the better. You can really save someone's life with a simple conversation. Do not get sucked into your phone when you are around people that you can have a conversation with. You may have missed out on a new friend, that can be more loyal to you than the ones you already have. Do not lose your faith in the power of a conversation. Also, don't forget that human interaction is important and meaningful in life.
Please do not forget that "listening is an art that requires attention over talent, spirit over ego, others over self". Remember that we are one race and one people, regardless of our birthplace, so stay humble and respectful. One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another person has to say. So make it part of your everyday life and have a legit conversation with someone today and every day.
It was great talking with you.
