“How are you?”
“I’m fine.”
Our go-to response when someone asks us how we are.
We say it even when we’re not doing well.
Even when others know we’re not okay.
Maybe because we don’t want to bother others with our problems.
Or maybe because explaining takes time, and we rarely feel close enough to the person asking.
Why is that?
What if you shared your troubles with an acquaintance or a stranger?
What if you phrased them in a way that encourages problem-solving and not problem-perpetuating?
A fresh perspective might be the answer to your problems— they’re not attached to the situation and only know as much as you let on.
Once, I opened up to a stranger in a hotel lobby, torn between attending college or entering the workforce. She listened, offered sound advice, and said what I needed to hear.
So next time, speak your mind.
You might find clarity in a conversation you never expected to have.
Here’s my quote for the day.
The words you speak become the house you live in.
Hafiz