It's in the Eyes - The Affirmation Spot for Friday October 17, 2008

 Today's affirmation is:"I believe wholeheartedly that I am part of the solution in my life and in my world." (click to hear it now)Most of us would like to make a difference in our time here on the planet. There so many small ways you can make the world a better place each day. One way is to consciously make eye contact with people throughout your day. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul.I'm not sure why, but our culture seems to have developed an aversion to looking people in the eye. If you've noticed, even in the presidential debates you don't see the candidates looking at each other. We talk around or at each other, but not really to each other. Eye contact, I believe, is a great way to counter that tendency.Few means of human connection match eye contact. When you look someone in the eye it's hard to miss his or her humanity.Recently, I've made it a habit to practice looking people in the eye when I thank them. You can do it with the checkout clerk at the grocery store or when someone holds a door for you. There are many opportunities everyday.My experience in this experiment is that when you make it a point to look people in the eye and combine it with "thank you", you generally get a smile in return. It creates a brief, but significant moment of connection and allows both of you to remember you are sharing this world with other people.When you can remember that - really remember it - even for just brief moments in your day it really helps to build the connection you feel with the people who interact with you every day.Stay inspired!Ray