Today a man I follow on Instagram posted a video about why he never takes his coffee to go. Rather, he stays to enjoy it, preferably in a ceramic coffee mug, and even if it’s just for 5 minutes, he takes that time to savor the moment. He went on to explain that one day he realized how we as a nation are always rushing to the next thing; we rarely stop to connect with the moment we are in.
Savor Simple Moments
It got me thinking if we are always rushing and not taking time to savor those simple moments, how do we remain connected to those around us.
And if we aren’t connected, how do we make sure that we don’t close ourselves off to the small wonders and personal relationships, no matter how fleeting. How do we foster a community focused on empathy?
I think a lot about empathy, especially lately. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Empathy is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand why they are feeling a certain way or emotion. Empathy is impossible to feel if there’s a lack of connection.
Be Curious
There are many ways to cultivate deeper empathy in yourself. Be curious, avoid judgment, put yourself in the other person’s shoes, and step out of your comfort zone, but none of these things matter if you don’t take the time to connect with others. So enjoy that coffee, make eye contact with strangers, find ways to start a conversation with the person on the train next to you, and ask the cleaning crew how their day is going. You may surprise yourself with how quickly you can feel compassion toward another. And at the end of the day, that human connection is really what it’s all about.
