On several occasions, life puts us in a situation where we are forced to either climb endless flights of stairs, or stand still for fifty seconds in a small enclosed room as we are effortlessly elevated to our destination. Depending on the day, many of us would choose the latter.

As we approach that usually humble, metal room, most of the time our thoughts are consumed by what's to come next. Whether it be our plans for later in the night, or when we're going to find the time to eat our next meal, the cognitive calendars in our heads are often focused on ourselves. What else could be more acceptable to think about as we step into an enclosure of solitude for a whole entire minute?

Then it dawns on us, we're not alone. There is another living, breathing creature in that room standing less than a foot away. This type of scenario could be awkward, or it could be interesting and rather entertaining. The possibilities are simply endless. The average Joe would probably stand there in utter silence, keeping to himself, waiting for the door to open. That choice is perfectly fine. There is absolutely nothing wrong with deciding to neglect to acknowledge the fact that you are standing next to someone who has not shared a single experience with you, but instead has had a life that is 100% different from yours. There is absolutely nothing wrong with thinking about your day or your week for that whole sixty seconds of peace. There is absolutely nothing wrong with mindfully asking yourself why firetrucks are red, or why we bake cookies and cook bacon. There is absolutely nothing wrong with just going about the rest of your day without giving it a second thought.

Wouldn't it be cool to do the opposite?

Think about it, if you and the being standing right next to you have made it this far in life without having seen each other even once, just imagine what you could learn from this person, or where they could lead you. Just because you said a simple "Hello, how's your day going?" to this person, that could be just enough to strike up a conversation. That conversation could lead to the two of you laughing. The laughter could lead to a great first impression. The first impression could lead to you grabbing coffee with this once stranger. The one-time-coffee could lead to them inviting you to their football party that Saturday night. At the football party, they could introduce you to the girl of your dreams, whom you proceed to date for four years, travel the world with, share an apartment together, then break up for a few months but eventually marry. This will ultimately lead to that guy becoming your best man and life-long friend... None of this would have happened had you chosen to stand quietly minding your own business in the elevator.

On the other hand, even if you ask him how he's doing, he could just shrug his shoulders and say nothing at all, leaving the two of you to just wait for those doors to open.

It's all what you make of it. The next time you're in an elevator with someone you don't know, be friendly, say something, and see what happens!