Each separate being in the universe
returns to the common source.
Returning to the source is serenity.
—Tao Te Ching - Verse 16
I’ve been pushing myself to meet at least one new person every day. Sometimes, I tell myself I’m going to introduce myself to someone, but when the moment arrives, I come up with excuses like, “She’s too X,” or “He’s probably Y,” or “I don’t know what to say.” It’s when the opportunity slips by that I feel stupid, though.
What’s the worst that could happen? They scream, “GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU FREAK!” Doubt it, especially if you’re approaching with at least some semblance of normalcy. The worst is probably a quick brush-off, like, “I’m really busy right now,” or “I’m meeting my [friend/colleague/spouse],” or “Mommy told me never to talk to strangers.”
The approach I’ve been using lately is as simple as can be: a smile and the question, “Mind if I introduce myself?” So far, I haven’t received a hard ‘No,’ but even if I do, I probably didn’t want to meet that person anyway. Everyone I’ve approached has been warmly receptive, and one gal even told me, “It’s nice to meet someone like this. Most people are always wrapped up in their phones.”
Introduced myself to a young lady sitting by herself this morning and she mentioned coming for the sunrise with her boyfriend, but said he was off wandering around.
“Is he the jealous type?” I asked. “Should I leave?”
“He’ll probably wanna shoot you,” she said, pointing behind me. I was relieved to turn and see a guy walking around with a camera.
They turned out to be great, and we had a lot in common. We talked about religion, meditation, psychedelics, float tanks, ice baths, acupuncture, breathing techniques, and more.
One thing she said that felt relatable to the quote above was, “You can recognize who has seen God.” Encountering other souls from the common source comes with an air of serenity, but sometimes you can miss them if you never stop to say hello. I almost didn’t introduce myself. I almost made an excuse not to. But instead, a handshake sparked a solid conversation and served as a good reminder that there are wonderful people are out there waiting to meet you as well.