Neighbors don’t know or speak to one another. Kids in school stick to their groups or some kids aren’t welcome in any group. We don’t take the time to know our colleagues at work. We don’t talk to family members. But somehow we have opinions of people we don’t know and we’re quick to be critical and judgmental. Our daily conversations revolve around being cynical about the state of the world and r
esigned that there’s no way to make it better; there’s an absence of acknowledgment and seeing the value of others and ourselves. Making yourself bigger by making the world smaller. By acknowledging others we create a connection and relatedness that didn't exist previously such that people take on greater awareness of the contribution, however small, of others and themselves. The act of acknowledging someone has an impact on both individuals. Simple acts of acknowledging others - saying good morning, introducing yourself, asking (and listening) about how someone is doing, letting someone go ahead of you in a store, on the road on in a parking lot, smiling, waving or saying hi to someone you don't know, telling someone how they make a difference for you - have a huge impact on how we feel about our communities and how our communities view us.
