I am not an introvert by any means, but I shy away from people. I will skip aisles in stores to avoid contact with someone I know. I will take longer routes to avoid seeing my neighbors. Then one day I read the book “Do Unto Otters” to my son which is based on this quote
“Do not do to others that which would anger you if others did it to you”
– Socrates
That quote struck me like a lightning bolt. If I am not friendly to others why would they be friendly to me? Selfishly I wanted to change myself. I stopped avoiding people and started smiling. I told hello and waved to strangers.
Yesterday I waved hello to a neighbor for the very first time six months after they moved into our community. A hello turned into five minutes of conversation. We exchanged stories and shared our experiences.
What was stopping me earlier from being friendly? Was I afraid of people judging me? Or lack of confidence to face others? Whatever it was, I am glad I came out of it. Only by sharing our experiences, we can learn about others and their experiences.
“Listening to a wide verity of people is helpful. Many voices bring many perspective. Questioning people and considering their responses is how you get better at doing the same when you have dialogues with yourself.”
– Kate Murphy in You’re Not Listening
Other’s experiences and stores enrich our life. Be open and put yourself out into the world.