Focus on the “we” for deeper conversations

Photo by Qijin Xu on Unsplash

We wake.

We work.

We wait.

We repeat.

At the highest level, our hours are spent before we live them. It’s how it is and how it has always been, at least to some degree. The glass half-full philosophers among us tend to exclusively focus on the latter half of each sentence: waking, working, waiting, and repeating. They end each day with a dull numbness and exhaustion.

In sharp contrast, the positive outlookers take notice of a trend. They focus on the “we” that starts each phrase. The “we” is the shared laughter from a perfectly timed dad joke. Its the communal comfort in a freshly brewed cup of coffee. The quick glance outside to catch the snow falling effortlessly. The joy of timing the traffic lights just right.

We forget about the “we” until we are challenged and the “we” is all we have. It is really about the people after all. For ages, the human experience has been entirely focused on survival. When people could not afford the extras in life, the shared experiences with each other were the gift. The opportunity to catch-up after services with your BFFL, dance at a ball with your crush, or sharing a bottle of wine with your brother were what kept the people going in the days pre-central air. I can’t think we don’t still have these same desires in our bones today.

Tap into the “we” as not only our reward, but as our gift. By doing this, we’ll shift our focus from the continuous wake, work, wait, and repeat cycles. The world needs us to have deeper conversations that challenge our values. Let’s replace Keeping Up With the Kardashians with Keeping Up With Our Friends.